Grading of each Louisville basketball player in anticipation of the 2025 NCAA Tournament

We will review the 2024-25 regular season and provide grades to every player who earned daily rotational minutes this year.

In less than 48 hours, the Louisville Cardinals will compete in the NCAA basketball tournament. Pat Kelsey recruited 12 players via the transfer portal in his first year and led the squad to their first ACC Tournament Championship.

The Cardinals secured the eighth seed in the South region and will meet the Creighton Bluejays in Lexington, Kent. Louisville has had a fantastic season, but with their disrespectful draw, the Cardinals have a lot to show in the NCAA Tournament.

The Cardinals will play in the South Region, which includes Auburn, Michigan State, Michigan, Texas A&M, and many more strong teams. The Cardinals will need every player to contribute on and off the court.

We will review the 2024-25 regular season and provide grades to every player who earned daily rotational minutes this year.

These eight athletes have engraved their names in the program’s record books and helped shatter several records this season. However, the Cardinals were plagued by the injury bug early in the season, with four players ruled out for the season.

This was a season in which the Cardinals demonstrated to the country that they are back as premier ACC competitors, and many feel this squad is poised for a Final Four run.

J’Vonne Hadley

J’Vonne Hadley has made significant contributions to the Cardinals this season and has established himself as one of the team’s top two-way players. Hadley is 6-foot-6 and can protect the opponent’s top player while simultaneously taking over on the opposite side.

Hadley has been critical to the team’s success, but supporters want him to play more aggressively in the NCAA Tournament. Hadley has demonstrated his ability to dominate games. He scored 32 points against Clemson earlier this season and has scored 15 or more in ten games.

Hadley has a delicate touch on his shooting, and because of his size and position, he prefers to back his smaller opponent down and float the ball into the basket. Hadley averaged 12.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while shooting 51.5% from the field and 38.6% from three.

Hadley is rusty heading into the NCAA Tournament, but his overall performance gives him a B+. He is an excellent match for this Cardinals offence, and his stats have improved in virtually every category since last year.

J’Vonne Hadley

B+

Khani Rooths

Khani Rooths was projected to do well for the Louisville Cardinals this season. In 2024, the Cardinals’ best prospect was ranked No. 38 in the nation, No. 6 in his position, No. 8 in his state, and had a 247Sports score of 95.

All evidence pointed to Rooths being a vital player off the bench this season, but uneven minutes damaged him and likely forced him to play fewer minutes than he anticipated. Rooths averaged 3.3 points and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 39.4% from the field and 23.5% from three.

His productivity is more vital than his stats indicate, as he is seen diving on the court, grabbing rebounds, and playing excellent defence every time his name is called. He has struggled offensively this season. He is only a freshman, and getting this sort of experience so early in his career is really valuable to the 19-year-old.

He had a strong showing against SMU, recording a career-high 12 points and seven rebounds while shooting 80 percent from the field and 100 percent from outside the arc. When Rooths is productive and aggressive, the offence flow improves significantly. This season, the freshman appeared a little nervous on offence, but more minutes will help.

Rooths received a C+ due to his offensive problems and turnovers. Khani Rooths will be a stud in this league next year and for years to come. He shown a lot of potential this season, and Cardinals fans are excited to see him back next season.

Khani Rooths

C+

Noah Waterman

Noah Waterman has had a rocky year. The senior forward has had some fantastic moments, but he has also gone through some tough stretches where he couldn’t buy a bucket.

Waterman averages 6.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 0.8 turnovers a game for Louisville this season, shooting 36.5 percent from the field and 28.9 percent from outside the 3-point line. Waterman also missed four games this season due to a thumb issue.

While Waterman is one of the team’s top shooters and usually brings a lot of enthusiasm, his full potential and skill have not been realised.

Waterman plays a little out of sync and makes terrible strokes. The 6-foot-11 forward has showed glimpses of becoming an excellent shooter off the bench, but he has also had periods of terrible shooting. The Cardinals will most likely employ him as a key bench player with some outside shooting ability. Waterman enters the NCAA Tournament on a strong note. He averaged 9.0 points and 4.7 rebounds and shot 46 percent from beyond the arc.

Waterman receives a C+ for the year due to his lack of consistency. The potential to be Pat Kelsey’s greatest bench player exists, but he must continue to perform as he did in the ACC Tournament.

Noah Waterman

C+

James Scott

James Scott has become the Cardinals’ top rim protector and lob threat. Scott has emerged as the Cardinals’ go-to guy for igniting crowds.

He may not score 15 points every game, but he will grab huge blocks on one end and then rush to the other end to hammer it home for two. Scott made the most of his minutes, averaging 7.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.0 blocks, and 0.7 blocks a game while shooting 75.5 percent from the field.

Scott is a game changer on both sides of the court, as the Cardinals’ centre and star guard Chucky Hepburn have a fantastic rapport. The two players can be seen running a dangerous pick-and-roll, and if Hepburn gets past the defender and Scott rolls to the cup, the defence is done. Hepburn will float for two or pass it to Scott, who will flush it home.

Scott is doing well as the NCAA Tournament approaches, but he appears to be a burden on offence. However, that was without Reyne Smith on the court, and now that the Cardinals have their sharpshooter back, anticipate the spacing and flow to improve significantly.

Scott receives an A- because his performance this season on both ends of the court was practically flawless for this Louisville Cardinals club.

James Scott

A-

Abou Bacar Traore

Aboubacar Traore has had some ups and downs this season, but he has been a crucial bench player in the second half owing to the Cardinals’ injury problems.

Traore can be seen taking crazy shots or playing erratically at times, but he also brings a burst of energy off the bench and can make some important shots. The 6-foot-5 Cardinals guard off the bench averaged 4.7 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 52.4 percent from the field.

Traore comes off the bench and gives the starters a little break, averaging just 14 minutes each game. He does, however, struggle with ball handling, committing 1.2 turnovers per game on average.

His ceiling was higher than Pat Kelsey and the Cardinals’ productivity this season, thus he received a C. Long Beach State’s guard averaged 1.5 blocks and steals last season, and the Cardinals will need such productivity in the semifinals. He’ll play some minutes in the NCAA Tournament, so he has to take care of the ball and be a vital defensive component off the bench.

Abou Bacar Traore

C

Reyne Smith

Reyne Smith, a sniper, played for Pat Kelsey in Charleston. When Kelsey joined the Cardinals, the sniper followed. Smith wasn’t the biggest name to enter the transfer portal, or even one of the biggest names to come to Louisville, but he’s been a significant contributor this season.

He began as a significant bench player but has since become a key starter for Pat Kelsey. Reyne Smith averaged 13.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.7 steals per game, shooting 38.3 percent from outside the arc.

Smith averages about 3.5 three-pointers each game and shoots approximately 10. Both are in the top ten in the country, and they have helped him make 104 three-pointers this season, which is also among the top ten. Even when he is not in possession of the ball, the lefty shooter is crucial to the Cardinals’ offence. He travels around to locate open space and attracts defenders towards him, freeing up Chucky Hepburn and Terrence Edwards Jr.

Smith missed the ACC Tournament due to an ankle ailment, but he is expected to return to the NCAA Tournament. Prior to his injury, Smith was struggling a bit, shooting 24-76 from downtown, or 31.5 percent. The Cardinals’ sharpshooter received some much-needed rest and will be 100 percent when they go to Lexington.

Smith receives an A for the season. He has certainly been an important part of this offence, and he has demonstrated his usefulness even when he is not on the floor. The Cardinals’ deep postseason run will be determined by Smith’s performance in March.

Reyne Smith

A

Terrence Edwards, Jr.

Terrence Edwards Jr. has emerged as a standout player for the Cardinals. He had a sluggish start to the season and even came off the bench in a few games, but he truly showed his value when Chucky Hepburn was out a couple of games.

Edwards took over for Hepburn and demonstrated his ability to dominate games, and he has never looked back. The two guards are now one of the greatest duos in the ACC, and they will seek to carry their success into March Madness.

This season for Louisville, Edwards averaged 16.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 0.7 steals a game while shooting 43.9 percent from the field and 33.0 percent from three. This season, Edwards was terrific for Louisville, and his ability to close out games in the second half was particularly impressive. The Cardinals’ All-ACC guard gets into a zone and becomes practically unstoppable, especially in March.

This March, Edwards is averaging 24.8 points, with a career-high 35 points against Cal and 29 points against Duke in the ACC Tournament Championship. Edwards has scored 20 or more points in 13 games this season.

Terrence Edwards Jr. received an A+ for the season. Edwards is an excellent role player with Chucky Hepburn and Reyne Smith, and he has developed as a vocal leader on this Cardinals team. Louisville basketball will need Edwards’ hot streak to continue into the NCAA Tournament.

Terence Edwards Jr.

A+

Chucky Hepburn

The Cardinals relied on Chucky Hepburn, an unsung hero. Louisville basketball hasn’t had a star this year, and Hepburn wasn’t intended to be the focal point. The Cardinals’ star guard was chosen First-Team All-ACC and received the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Hepburn is a team leader who has contributed to the Cardinals’ history.

Hepburn was ranked No. 101 on 247Sports’ transfer site following this season, and he rose up to No. 6. The Cardinals’ point guard increased every metric line from last year to this year, averaging 16.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 2.5 steals while shooting 43.5 percent from the field and 33.2 percent from three.

Hepburn’s ability to shut down the opponent’s best player on one end and then manage the tempo of the game, play quietly, and either generate a shot for himself or facilitate the ball is what makes him a top ten point guard in the country.

Hepburn receives an A+ for his efforts this season for Lousville. Against Pitt, the Cardinals’ point guard scored a career-high 37 points and shot 6-6 from downtown. He also surpassed the Cardinals’ single-game record for free throws made, with 17.

Louisville hopes to shock the world by defeating Creighton and then No. 1 seed Auburn. To do this, Chucky Hepburn must harness his game against Pitt and score at will.

Chucky Hepburn

A+

Louisville extends Pat Kelsey’s contract, but his salary lags below his predecessor.

The NCAA Tournament field is decided, and the Louisville Cardinals have had a stunning turnaround. Only a year ago, Louisville was in turmoil. They finished last in the ACC for the second straight season, with a 12-52 record at that time. The squad realised a change was necessary, so they fired head coach Kenny Payne and hired Pat Kelsey.

The move yielded instant results. Kelsey led the Cardinals to a 27-7 record, winning 18 conference games and finishing second in the ACC. This performance earned Louisville its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019.

As a result, Kelsey’s contract was extended for another year, currently lasting through 2030. He also received a bonus of at least $50,000 and a $25,000 incentive for earning the ACC Coach of the Year award. Despite his accomplishment, Kelsey’s compensation remains lower than that of Payne, whom he succeeded. Payne, who is currently an associate coach at Arkansas under John Calipari, received a basic salary of $3.35 million, while Kelsey got $2,367,418. However, Kelsey still has the option to boost his wages through performance-based bonuses.

If Louisville wins their first-round game, he will receive $100,000, with each consecutive victory adding $50,000 to his total. A national championship victory would result in an extra $500,000, potentially pushing Kelsey’s compensation much above Payne’s.

Pat Kelsey’s first season at Louisville has been nothing short of impressive. He has demonstrated his ability as a coach by turning around a troubled school and taking the Cardinals back to the NCAA Tournament. While his compensation may not yet reflect his accomplishment, the possibility of performance bonuses suggests that he’s on the rise. Louisville’s future is bright under Kelsey’s guidance, and his stunning turnaround will most certainly lay the groundwork for continuing success in the years to come.

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Louisville’s Pat Kelsey is ‘hurt’ by the Cardinals’ NCAA Tournament placing and feels insulted

The Louisville Cardinals are possibly the most shocking team in college basketball this season. Pat Kelsey, first-year head coach, swiftly added 12 new players through the transfer portal after inheriting a team with only one player.

Impact players such Chucky Hepburn, Terrence Edwards Jr., Reyne Smith, Noah Waterman, J’Vonne Hadley, and James Scott have radically transformed the program. In his first season as Louisville’s head coach, Kelsey was voted ACC Coach of the Year and led the team to their first ACC Championship trip.

With a 27-7 record, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi predicted the Cardinals as a 6-seed, citing their excellent conference tournament performance. However, the selection committee had a different opinion, placing Louisville not just lower in the seeding but also as an 8-seed. The Cardinals’ berth in the ACC Championship might lead to a second-round game with Auburn, the tournament’s top overall seed. Kelsey discussed the team’s seeding and expressed his discontent with the committee’s choice.

Kelsey expressed his excitement about competing in the national tournament on KY Sports Radio. “I’ll be completely honest with you, we’re watching the selection show and when that popped up, it hurt a little bit.”

Kelsey did not hesitate to state that he believed his squad had been insulted in terms of seeding. As of now, the Cardinals are one of the country’s hottest teams entering the NCAA Tournament.

Maybe the seeding reflects Louisville’s absence from the tournament in recent years. Nonetheless, the Cardinals have advanced to the big dance, but their poor seed may result in an early departure in the Round of 64.

Hunter Cookston

Hunter Cookston started his career as a reporter for the Marion Tribune, covering local high school football, basketball, and baseball. His interest in athletics began at the age of four, when he played his first year of teeball. Growing up in Tennessee, he had strong feelings for the Tennessee Volunteers and the Atlanta Braves. Hunter is presently enrolled at Tennessee Wesleyan University, where he is pursuing a BA in Sports Communications/Management.

Crafted for fans since 1886.

Pat Kelsey responds to public outcry about him receiving ACC Coach of the Year over Jon Scheyer

Pat Kelsey led Louisville to a 25-6 overall record and an 18-2 conference record, earning him the ACC Coach of the Year award in his first season. However, there was significant backlash on social media when he received the honour.

Some fans felt their coach should have received the honour over Kelsey, but in the end, the Cardinals’ head coach gained the honour after transforming Louisville into an ACC contender. During the conference tournament earlier this week, Louisville’s head coach spoke out about the topic.

“No. Kelsey remarked, “I don’t pay any attention,” following Louisville’s ACC Tournament quarterfinal triumph on Thursday. “Obviously, there are a lot great coaches in this league, and several of them could have easily earned the honour. My mom emailed me a visual from Duke, but after reading everything, I thought, “Wow, that’s pretty impressive. Maybe he should have won it.”

Kelsey is referring to Duke’s social media release of a graphic highlighting all of the reasons why the head coach, Jon Scheyer, should have been named ACC Coach of the Year. The statistics extended far beyond Duke’s 19-1 record against ACC opponents and its projected No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

However, Kelsey was chosen for the award after taking over a team that had just had two of its worst seasons in recent memory. Kelsey went on to guide Louisville to 18 wins in the ACC alone, establishing his place as conference coach of the year, despite only winning 12 games in both seasons.

“I do not know. These don’t matter. “All that matters is fighting with this team to win a championship,” Kelsey said. “We’re really fortunate to progress; survival and advancement is what they say in tournament play, and we’re lucky to do so.

“I’m excited to find out who we’ll be playing. It’ll be a restless night, but it’ll be pure adrenaline. This is the most enjoyable time of the year. March is collegiate basketball season. College basketball fans all throughout America witnessed a thriller today, and we were lucky to advance.”

Kelsey made these comments after the Cardinals upset Stanford in the quarterfinals. They progressed to the title game against Duke after defeating Clemson 76-73 in the semifinals on Friday. The game between Louisville and Duke will tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET and will be live on ESPN.

How Louisville basketball pulled off an incredible comeback against Stanford at the ACC Tournament

No. 2-seeded Louisville basketball recovered from 15 points down with 14:32 remaining in regulation to defeat Stanford on a game-winning jumper from Chucky Hepburn as time expired in the ACC Tournament.

How did Pat Kelsey’s Cardinals complete the comeback? “Everybody just stayed together and held each other accountable,” Terrence Edwards Jr. explained.

Charlotte, North Carolina — In the locker room, Frank Anselem-Ibe and Khani Rooths were rewinding the last seconds of regulation on an iPhone. Were their eyes fooling them?

“I knew it was cash,” Anselem-Ibe explained.

Louisville basketball advanced to the semifinal stage of the ACC Tournament for the first time since entering in 2014, thanks to Chucky Hepburn’s last-second shot from the left elbow.

The highlight-reel performance closed up the Cardinals’ greatest comeback of the season and earned Hepburn a FaceTime conversation with former University of Louisville standout Donovan Mitchell.

Where does this rank among the senior point guard’s top moments from his college career?

“Top two,” Hepburn said, “and it is not No. 2.”

Louisville will face No. 3 Clemson at the Spectrum Centre on Friday at 9:30 p.m., following their first postseason win in three years. Another victory, and it will face either No. 1 Duke or No. 5 North Carolina in Saturday’s championship game.

Here’s how Pat Kelsey’s Cards made their amazing comeback:

‘I didn’t need to say much’



Kelsey took a timeout with 14:32 remaining in regulation with Louisville on the ropes.

The Cardinals trailed No. 7-seeded Stanford by 15 points, 52-37, despite defeating them by 20 points in the regular-season finale at the KFC Yum! Centre. Hope was in short supply from the outside.

Kelsey told reporters afterward that the Cardinal was the aggressor for the majority of the night, breaking U of L’s string of 20 consecutive games with a halftime lead. The ACC Coach of the Year called the aforementioned stoppage of play with Kyle Smith’s team on an 11-0 run and shooting 3 for 9 from the field after the break.

What would you say in such a situation? With an experienced team like Kelsey’s, it only takes about 30 seconds of what the 49-year-old Cincinnati native refers to as “aggressive counselling.”

“I didn’t have to say much after that,” Kelsey explained. His teammates grabbed it from there—and ran with it.

“Coach always tells us, ‘Stick together; play (our game) for 40 minutes,” Noah Waterman said. “We weren’t worried — even when we were down 15.”

“Nobody argued,” said Terrence Edwards Jr., who scored a game-high 25 points. “Everybody just stayed together and held each other accountable.”

“We just all looked at each other and said that we weren’t going to lose,” Hepburn told the crowd.

What happened next will be widely discussed in Louisville.

“How these guys responded to that adversity was amazing,” Kelsey told me. “I’m very, very, very proud of them.”

First, Edwards halted the bleeding with back-to-back layups. With 12:16 remaining, he knocked down a jumper in the paint, sparking a 16-3 run for the Cards, including baskets from Hepburn, James Scott, and J’Vonne Hadley, to tie the game at 60 with 7:41 on the clock. U of L outscored Stanford 13-5 over the following 5:45, taking its greatest lead of the night, 73-65, into the final 1:56.

“They just started driving us 1-on-1 a little in the middle of the floor,” Smith said; “and we couldn’t quite sustain it.”

That was only the beginning of this wild ride to the finish. Despite playing its second game in as many days, the Cardinal still had one more run in the tank, scoring eight consecutive points to tie with 32 seconds remaining. Its final bucket was a fast-break, and-1 layup after a poor pass from Hepburn, prompting Kelsey to call another timeout and set up for the final possession.

‘Pop-A-Shot’

Two Stanford defenders leaped Hepburn once and again as he dribbled the ball past midcourt. According to Edwards, this removed Louisville from the set it planned to run.

With 5.1 seconds left, he had the ball in his hands at the top of the key and launched a step-back, double-clutch 3-pointer over a leaping Oziyah Sellers. Scott’s comments came to mind at the time: “Put it on the rim; I got you.”

“I thought his shot was going to go in; I’m going to be honest,” Waterman told reporters. “I believe (in) everybody on the team, so I thought it was a buck.”

The shot that sent @LouisvilleMBB to it’s first-ever ACC Tournament Semifinals. pic.twitter.com/gCeeB9vj69

— ACC Men’s Basketball (@accmbb) March 14, 2025

It was not. The ball struck the rim, then the backboard, and briefly rested in Chisom Okpara’s hands with 2.9 seconds remaining. Smith stated that he attempted to call a timeout while his side was in control, but Scott knocked the ball loose, allowing Hepburn to recover near the left elbow with ample of room to shoot before the buzzer.

“I was just at the perfect spot at the perfect time,” Hepburn added.

“It was just like Pop-A-Shot,” Kelsey explained. “I don’t even think he jumped.”

Hepburn wasn’t thinking about the turnover he made on the possession before this one.

“If it’s still on my mind,” he said, “I probably don’t even hit that shot.”

Swish. Comeback is complete. Pandemonium. Another epic event for the guy who kissed the Dunking Cardinal emblem before leaving the Yum! Centre last weekend. According to statistician Kelly Dickey, this is Louisville’s first game-winning shot at the buzzer in the tournament since Scooter McCray’s tip-in against Arkansas on March 24, 1983, which set up the “Dream Game” vs archival Kentucky.

See you Friday night.

“Hopefully there’s more luck in the genie bottle,” Kelsey was saying.

UofL’s Pat Kelsey wins ACC Coach of the Year, Hepburn earns defensive accolades

Louisville, Kentucky —

Pat Kelsey, the Cardinals’ first-year head basketball coach, has been voted the ACC Coach of the Year.

The No. 13 Cardinals and Kelsey ended the regular season with a victory against Stanford this weekend. This improved UofL’s record to 25-6 heading into the ACC Tournament as the No. 2 seed.

Kelsey’s accomplishments in year one included leading the Cardinals to the final game of the Baha Mar Hoops Tournament early in the season and finishing on a nine-game winning run.

Kelsey’s strong finish helped the Cardinals tie for second place in the ACC.

Kelsey garnered 47 votes, outperforming Duke’s Jon Scheyer, who received 27. He is the first Louisville coach to collect the league award since Rick Pitino was awarded CUSA Coach of the Year in 2005.

In addition to Kelsey’s ACC honour, guard Chucky Hepburn was voted ACC Defensive Player of the Year. Hepburn is the first Cardinal to earn this honour. He was also selected for the All-ACC First Team.

Terrence Edwards, a guard, was chosen to the All-ACC Third Team.

If history holds true, Pat Kelsey and Louisville basketball have already won the ACC title

Pat Kelsey & Louisville Basketball is a championship formula in the works.

Pat Kelsey, the head coach of the Louisville men’s basketball team, has had a significant impact on the schools he has led. He appears to have wasted little time, as early indicators of his stay at Louisville indicate that the Cardinals’ first-year head coach is quickly converting the program into something remarkable.

Louisville’s season may still have one game left in the regular season, but Kelsey’s track record suggests that the Cardinals will rise to the No.1 seed in the ACC, and being crowned ACC Tournament winners is not only plausible, but quite likely.

With Kelsey in command, the program is in strong hands, and if his extended winning runs are any indication, it may only be a matter of time before the Cardinals lift an ACC championship trophy.

Pat Kelsey & Louisville Basketball is a championship formula in the works.

Pat Kelsey has had an instant impact on the Louisville basketball program, which finished last in the ACC last season with an ugly 3-17 record in league play and 8-24 overall. After starting 6-5, the Cardinals won 10 consecutive games before losing to Georgia Tech. They have since won eight more, bringing their total to 24-6 and 18 of their last 19.

Louisville basketball’s overwhelming victory run appears to be a trend Pat Kelsey has followed throughout his coaching tenure. Kelsey’s track records suggest that extended victory streaks have been a hallmark of his teams, and history shows that those runs typically result in championships.

Prior to joining UofL, Kelsey was the head coach at Charleston and Winthrop, where he established a winning culture and drastically transformed those programs.

In Kelsey’s second season at Charleston, the Cougars went 31-4, capturing the program’s first CAA title since 2008. Kelsey led the Cougars to a 20-game winning streak and landed Charleston in the top 25 for the first time in years.

Pat Kelsey also guided the Winthrop Eagles to a 23-2 record, including a school-record 21-game winning streak, a Big South tournament championship, and an NCAA Tournament appearance.

Kelsey was charged with a similar scenario with the Louisville Cardinals program, as UofL was considered floundering in previous years. However, Kelsey’s winning 18 of 19 games and establishing two major win streaks may be a premonition that the Cardinals are on track to earn the ACC regular season title.

Pat Kelsey’s history indicates that when his team has extended winning streaks, he frequently brings hardware to the program. The Cardinals have never won an ACC Tournament crown, and Kelsey’s victory run suggests he wants to put his name in the program’s history once more.

The Cardinals face Stanford at home, while Duke travels to UNC tomorrow night to face the Tar Heels.

The Cardinals’ winning streak at Louisville is more than simply luck; it demonstrates the program’s success. History implies that Kelsey and the Cardinals’ victory run has them set up for a ring ceremony. Cardinals supporters, gather your popcorn because this team’s sky is the limit.

Reyne Smith talks on his friendship with Pat Kelsey ahead of Louisville basketball’s senior day

Louisville basketball sharpshooter Reyne Smith, the only player on the squad who has spent all four years under coach Pat Kelsey, will have an emotional senior day.

Smith, who is from Tasmania, has always had a talent for shooting the ball. Kelsey has helped him become perhaps the greatest in Division I this season.

This is the narrative of Smith falling in love with the game, meeting Kelsey, and forming a friendship that will endure their entire lives.

Pat Kelsey’s pause revealed more about his connection with Reyne Smith than the accolades the Louisville basketball coach bestowed upon the Australian player.

“He’s a winner,” Kelsey told reporters during the Cardinals’ season-opening exhibition against Young Harris College in October. “Sometimes, people mistake him for what Skip Prosser used to call’suburban jump shooters.'” That is not Reyne.

“That’s his deal — and he shoots the blood out of the ball — yet he’s tough as nails and appears on every single scouting report. He is always precisely where he is supposed to be. It’s almost like having another assistant coach because he understands what we do and how to execute it so effectively. He’s a selfless guy who puts the team first.”

Then comes the pause. Perhaps Kelsey was reminded of the day Smith committed to play for him at Winthrop, when he jumped into the pool at his Rock Hill, South Carolina, home after getting the news. Perhaps it was a realisation of how much time had gone — or that concentrating solely on the next item in front of him would not avert the inevitable.

“It’s a shame I only get to coach him for one more year,” he told me. “Because he’s a joy.”

With a crowded senior day versus Stanford at the KFC Yum! Centre on Saturday, Kelsey is likely to say the same thing about players on his debut U of L roster. Smith’s family travels from Tasmania to accompany him to Denny Crum Court, which will have a different impact.

“He’s like a son to me,” Kelsey said after a Feb. 16 win against Notre Dame. Smith became only the third player in school history to hit 100 shots from beyond the arc in a season.

“It’s hard to put into words,” Smith told The Courier Journal later that night. “It’s starting to feel a little more real: It’s coming to the end.”

Smith, of course, is the only Card who has spent his whole four-year college career with Kelsey and his crew. He was the first to transfer in last March, only hours after the coach named his renovation “The ReviVILLE” on X, previously Twitter. All he’s done since then is improve his skills and become a fan favourite, making umbrella hats a must-have accessory in the student section.

“It’s kind of emotional to see the success he’s had this year; because he came with me from Charleston,” Kelsey elaborated. “He’s better here than he was there—and he was really excellent there. It’s absolutely amazing to see, and it’s a credit to hard effort.”

This is the story of Smith discovering basketball, his shot, Kelsey, and a second family.

He’s always been able to shoot it.

During an interview on The C.L. Brown Show in January, Smith revealed that he began playing Australian rules football as a child in Ulverstone. He started playing basketball in first grade and remained with it because of the individuals it made him close to.

A wise decision; by his early teens, he was competing in a national championship competition. His coach was Louisville assistant Michael Cassidy, a fellow countryman who is new to coaching.

“I should find a photo,” Cassidy told The Courier Journal last summer. “The guy is tiny and little, but he’s always been able to shoot it.

“We’ve always joked about how we can’t stay away from one other. It’s been like four separate programs.”

When Smith placed second in made 3-pointers during the week-long contest, he decided to dedicate himself to the sport in the hopes of one day being Australia’s best marksman. He spent a lot of time on YouTube, namely viewing a Sports Science video on Klay Thompson’s jumper, and worked hard in the gym.

 

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A post shared by Reyne Smith (@_reynesmith)

Smith informed Paul Rogers of the Cardinal Sports Network that he was confidence in his ability to shoot the ball after setting the Cardinals’ single-game record of 10 three-pointers against SMU on January 21. “I work way too hard to even think twice about my shot.”

“There are very few people I’ve ever coached,” she added, “who are as invested in their game as he is.”

Cassidy eventually came knocking with an invitation to play for the elite Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra. It was founded in 1981 to improve the country’s prospects of winning an Olympic medal, and it has produced basketball players like Andrew Bogut and Patty Mills.

Smith was determined to advance his game to Division I level, so this was a no-brainer; he moved away from home at the age of 17. Since then, the distance has only increased.

“My mom’s like my biggest fan and wants me to chase my dreams,” she remarked. “She hates seeing me leave; but she knows that this is something I love to do.”

‘Comfortable’

Kelsey had success recruiting at the Australian Institute of Sport (Xavier Cooks) before to Smith’s arrival, developing contacts with coaches along the way. When the young guard began to build a reputation for himself, they contacted the Cincinnati native on his behalf.

“I’ve always loved watching Reyne play,” said Washington Wizards assistant Adam Caporn, who was the senior teacher at the institute’s Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence while Smith and Cassidy were there. “(He) can play anywhere and help a team anywhere with that level of shooting and toughness.”

Kelsey offered Smith two things if he committed to Winthrop. The first was that, in accordance with Australian customs, he would not have to address him as coach. The second move was the aforementioned backflip into his pool.

“I didn’t think anything of it,” Smith said. “When I called him to say I was committing, I kind of forgot about it.”

Kelsey then raced outside, flipped his phone camera around, and asked his son, Johnny, to record him diving into the lake while wearing his clothing.

“I’m like, ‘Oh my God,'” Smith explained. “Coaches with so much enthusiasm are hard to come by in Australia. “It was quite funny.”

 

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Kelsey have great expectations for Smith. When his signing became official, the coach stated, “I don’t want to put too much pressure on him; but I believe he could be Winthrop’s next great Australian.” However, that never materialised. Instead, he followed him and Cassidy to Charleston, where he broke the program record for most 3-pointers made in a game twice as a junior, finishing with 1,212 career points on 37% shooting from distance.

Smith praised Kelsey and his team for making him feel at ease during his adjustment to life in America. That’s one of the reasons he was so eager to join what they were creating in Louisville. Despite receiving offers from other institutions through the NCAA transfer site last spring, he chose not to pursue them.

“Especially during holidays like Thanksgiving (or) Christmas, PK’s always stressing to make sure that I’m OK and I’ve got something going on; and, if not, I can always come to his house,” Smith informed me.

“That’s what’s been so amazing for me: him underlining how welcome I am to come over anytime I want, and a variety of other staff members stating that if I ever need a home-cooked dinner, I can come over. Things like those simply make it feel so much simpler, and you feel a lot more at ease in that setting.”

‘It won’t endure forever.’

Smith, who had lived and breathed Kelsey’s culture for three years, came into the 2024-25 season as an expert at maintaining a forward-thinking attitude. But he was also acutely aware of the wider picture: time was of the essence.

“You kind of go in every day just with a different appreciation,” Smith claimed, “and understanding that it’s not lasting forever.”

Smith, as Kelsey mentioned after the Notre Dame win, had a smooth adjustment from the Coastal Athletic Association to the ACC. Entering March, he was nine 3s away from breaking his career high of 112 from 2023-24 and 19 shy of overtaking Taquan Dean’s 122 from 2004-05 for the top place in the U of L record book.

“His light is neon,” Kelsey explained. “Name a (shade) of green that’s greener than green and he’s got it.”

“When a play gets called for him, and you’re on the end of the screen, you just really want to do your job,” said sophomore forward James Scott, who played with Smith at Charleston before following him to the Cards. “Because you know that, if you do your job and he gets any type of space, he’s going to hit the shot.”

 

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Smith’s 3.71 triples per game stood second in DI entering March and, if he continues at this rate, will be the highest by an ACC player since JJ Redick averaged 3.90 for Duke in 2005-06. He was also on track for the second-best conversion rate from outside the arc of his career, at 38.5%. Then there were his career-best 81 rebounds and career-low 20 turnovers.

“He’s a really good all-around player,” Kelsey explained.

Although he will soon leave Kelsey & Co. behind, Smith’s playing career is far from done. Snipers with his range are likely to find a home in the professional ranks, and he should be called upon to represent Australia in international events, including as the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup. But when the ball stops bouncing, he wants to be a coach. He replied that teaching the game is too much pleasure to give up totally.

“He’s a great leader; he’s unbelievably bright basketball-wise; he’s got a dynamic personality,” Kelsey told me. “I’ll try to talk him out of this ridiculous racket, but what’s in your blood stays in your blood. Typically, you have no control over the situation.”

Kelsey’s regimen is also having an impact on him.

“I’m forever in debt to this staff for what they’ve done for me — for not only my basketball career but also for me as a person; kind of shaping my life so, when I leave the program, I’m not only a better basketball player but also a better man,” Smith said. “They always talk about how proud they are of me, but the feeling’s mutual.”

Brooks Holton, a Louisville men’s basketball reporter, may be reached at bholton@gannett.com and followed on X at @brooksHolton.