ACC Basketball Five on Five: Comparing Virginia And Louisville's Starting Lineups

After comparing Virginia's starting five with Duke's, next up is Louisville, which is interchangeable with the Blue Devils for the top spot in the ACC. It should be a two-horse race in the conference standings next season. Drastically improved from a dumpster fire of a season only two years ago, the Cardinals have reloaded and built upon a roster that won 18 games in the ACC and made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019.

While Coach Ryan Odom hasn’t coached a game in Charlottesville yet, it may be more difficult for him to match Coach Tony Bennett’s 18-2 record against Louisville. The ‘Hoos could have their hands full against a lethal starting five featuring a familiar face.

Point Guard: Dallin Hall (Gr.) vs. Mikel Brown Jr. (Fr.)

Hall’s 2024-25 at BYU: 10 GS, 24.6 MPG, 6.8 PPG, 4.2 APG, 40.2% FG, 35.3% 3PT

Brown at DME Academy (HS): 29.6 PPG, USA U19 National Team

Summary: Brown turned heads at the FIBA U19 World Cup this summer with a 14.9 PPG, 6.1 APG and 47.6% 3PT statline across seven games. A top-ten recruit and the second-ranked point guard in his class, the freshman has above-average size for the position (6’5) and an unbelievable arsenal of offensive tools — headlined by his three-point shot. Brown’s FIBA performance only bolstered his case for the NBA lottery next season, and I would be shocked if he did not finish the Cardinals’ season as a double-digit scorer and All-ACC selection. He is the headliner of an embarrassment of riches at the guard position.

Hall, also a taller point guard at 6’4, is a wily veteran who played an integral role at BYU over the last two seasons. While he doesn’t have the all-world potential of Brown, he is an athletic, confident distributor who has a penchant for a big jam. Coach Ryan Odom needs Hall to step quickly into the spotlight while freshman guard Chance Mallory develops. This is an unfortunate matchup for Virginia, though. Brown takes the cake on account of his size, shooting, and playmaking. He will be complemented by three other sharpshooters to be discussed.

ACC Basketball Five on Five: Comparing Virginia And Louisville's Starting Lineups — Mar 31, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; McDonald’s All American West guard Mikel Brown Jr. (11) dunks the ball during the Sprite Jam Fest at Barclay's Center. Mandatory Credit: Pamela Smith-Imagn Images | Pamela Smith-Imagn Images

Advantage: Louisville

Shooting Guard: Jacari White (Gr.) vs. Isaac McKneely (Sr.)

White’s 2024-25 at North Dakota State: 29 GS, 30.9 MPG, 17.1 PPG, 45.2% FG, 39.8% 3PT

McKneely’s 2024-25 at Virginia: 32 GS, 34.4 MPG, 14.4 PPG, 43.9% FG, 42.1% 3PT

Summary: Imagine reading this two or three years ago. A 'Hoo transferring in-conference to play for Louisville, mired in the depths of the Kenny Payne era? Well, times have changed. Senior guard Isaac McKneely departed Charlottesville for the Cardinals this offseason following a coaching change, and it’s likely that he starts the season at the two. Virginia faithful know McKneely’s strength: three-point shooting. The West Virginia native cashed some ridiculous attempts from behind the arc last season, best captured by a perfect six of six performance against Villanova in November. He never quite developed a multidimensional offensive package, but McKneely now has backcourt mates who can keep him relatively concealed and ready to fire.

White perhaps has more tools in the toolkit thanks to his on-ball chops, three-point prowess, and speed in transition. He will play second-fiddle to Malik Thomas as a scorer, yet I wouldn’t count out a double-digit year even in a far more competitive conference. It’s just that McKneely does one thing exceptionally well and has experience as the No. 1 option on an ACC team. You could also argue that Kennesaw State transfer Adrian Wooley (18.8 PPG, 42.2% 3PT) will start as an electric playmaker alongside McKneely; however, I think he’ll be a sparkplug off of the bench and an incredible luxury to have as a sixth man. The buzz around Louisville's backcourt is very real.

Advantage: Louisville

Mar 4, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Isaac McKneely (11) dribbles the ball as Florida State Seminoles forward Alier Maluk (21) defends in the second half at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images | Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images

Wing: Malik Thomas (Gr.) vs. Ryan Conwell (Sr.)

Thomas’ 2024-25 at San Francisco: 34 GS, 31.8 MPG, 19.9 PPG, 44.4% FG, 39.4% 3PT

Conwell’s 2024-25 at Xavier: 34 GS, 33.0 MPG, 16.5 PPG, 45.0% FG, 41.2% 3PT

Summary: This is about as close of a player comparison as we’ll get in this series. Thomas and Conwell have played both at the high and mid-major level through their extensive college careers and will end up donning three separate jerseys. While the former has to prove his worth in a conference such as the ACC, he blitzed the West Coast Conference with 19.9 PPG and gave opposing guards headaches as a physical, savvy scorer with a three-point shot. Conwell — a third-team All-Big East selection — matched his production at Indiana State last year with Xavier and led the Musketeers’ backcourt from a scoring perspective. He has such a smooth feel to his game and should walk into the KFC Yum! Center as a starter in a loaded backcourt.

It feels unfair that Thomas falls behind both Sarr and Conwell in these early rankings, but he’ll get his as we discuss future matchups. The Xavier transfer is, however, more accomplished at the major-conference level and has fewer flaws than Virginia’s starting wing. Two elite scorers of similar stature will eventually face off and test the judgments made in this article. I would expect both Thomas and Conwell to lead their respective teams in scoring next season.

Feb 13, 2025; Spokane, Washington, USA; San Francisco Dons guard Malik Thomas (1) shoots against Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Dusty Stromer (4) in the first half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images | James Snook-Imagn Images

Advantage: Louisville

Power Forward: Thijs de Ridder (Fr.) vs. J’Vonne Hadley (Gr.)

De Ridder’s 2024-25 at Bilbao Basket (Liga ACB): 33 GP, 20.7 MPG, 9.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 50.2% FG, 39.1% 3PT

Hadley’s 2024-25 at Louisville: 35 GS, 33.1 MPG, 12.2 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 51.8% FG, 38.1% 3PT

Summary: Hadley flew under the radar in a productive first season with Louisville. The “big guard” played minutes largely at the four spot and nabbed 7.3 RPG to complement strong FG and three-point percentages. Attention will shift even further to Louisville’s backcourt, but Hadley provides some toughness, physicality and leadership for a roster returning five scholarship players, including two redshirts. I would be shocked if Coach Pat Kelsey brings him off of the bench after a season in which he started every possible game and averaged 33.1 MPG. Every coach relishes a player who can fill a Swiss-Army role, and that’s Hadley in a nutshell.

We have not seen Belgian Thijs de Ridder play at the collegiate level just yet. What we do know is that the 22-year-old won’t have to worry too much about physical mismatches at the power forward position. Both with Belgium and Bilbao Basket, he has proven that he can plug in admirably as a stretch four or post defenders up as a back-to-the-basket player, and the tape suggests that he will thrive in transition as a rim-runner with Grünloh. In this case study, I would be remiss not to tip my cap to Hadley for his production last season and for his assumption of another major role in 2025-26. De Ridder has the size advantage, but he might not be as well-rounded.

Advantage: Even

Center: Johann Grünloh (Fr.) vs. Kasean Pryor (Sr.)

Grünloh’s 2024-25 at Rasta Vechta (BBL): 29 GP, 22.6 MPG, 7.9 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 46.1% FG, 34.2% 3PT

Pryor’s 2024-25 at Louisville: 3 GS, 23.4 MPG, 12.0 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 36.8% FG, 15.2% 3PT

Summary: Pryor’s season ended after seven games, as the sixth-year tore his ACL in the championship game of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament. Up until that point, the 6’10 forward had a Jekyll-and-Hyde-type season in which he alternated between low efficiency and mid-to-high efficiency nights. Nonetheless, he could have propelled the Cardinals on to even greater heights as a bigger four or smaller five in different lineup variations. This season, he will face some stiffer competition from frontcourt additions such as freshman Sananda Fru — also of the German professional ranks — and redshirt senior Aly Khalifa, a 7'0, crafty big formerly of BYU. Coach Pat Kelsey can sit Pryor if he’s cold, and he can ride the hot hand on those strong nights.

Grünloh has generated NBA buzz as a mobile big who can stretch the floor, protect the rim and operate at the three-point line as a pick-and-roll player. He is more of a center than Pryor, who, like Hadley, often plays up a position yet can still hold his own. As mentioned in the Duke piece, a chief concern with Grünloh will likely manifest itself in the physicality of frontcourts in the ACC; however, Pryor isn’t a major threat to manhandle Virginia’s two seven-footers, Grünloh and Kansas State transfer Ugonna Onyenso. He is, however, quicker and more athletic than most players at the five. These two should be on the same level headed into 2025-26.

Advantage: Even

Next up are the North Carolina Wolfpack, now featuring a revamped roster under the leadership of new head coach Will Wade.

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