3-1: Ranking Louisville basketball's scholarship players in 2025-26

On top of our player profile series in the weeks leading up to then, Cardinal Sports will rank the U of L scholarship players 1-12.
Players will be ranked based on their preseason projections, level of importance to a successful season, previous statistics, and more.
Previous rankings can be found here: 12-10, 9-7, 6-4
Here are the players on the roster ranked No. 3 — No. 1
Join Cardinal Sports now for $1 your first week and enjoy a complimentary year of The Athletic – included with your membership. Sign up today!
3.) J’Vonne Hadley
6-foot-7, 210 pounds, 6th year — St. Paul, Minnesota
2024-25 Stats: 12.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 51.8 FG%, 35 starts
Hadley is one of the invaluable players in college basketball. He’s the ultimate glue guy, who brings experience and versatility on both ends of the floor. The power forward was easily the biggest return to the roster from a season ago.
He was the Cardinal to start in every single game last season, one where he notched seven double-doubles and was Louisville’s best rebounder. Hadley also flashed offensively against Clemson and Boston College. The sixth-year senior shot a steady 38.1 percent from beyond the arc on a career-high 2.4 attempts a game.
Hadley does the little things well. He’s reliable, plays within his role, and is coming off a season where he shot the ball the most and best as he has in his college career. His ability to guard in the post and on the perimeter makes him switchable. While he only averaged 0.7 steals (down half a steal from his 2023-24 average at Colorado), I would expect Hadley to be impactful in that department this season.
Ultimately, Hadley will play 30-plus minutes because of his consistency on both ends, experience, and leadership role.
2.) Mikel Brown Jr.
6-foot-5, 180 pounds, Freshman — Orlando, Florida
2024-25 Stats: N/A
Brown has the chance to play himself into the discussion to be a top-five selection in next summer’s NBA Draft, if he hasn’t already. Yes, he’s that good. Brown is one of the most exciting offensive talents in college basketball, with his ability to score from all three levels, rise above the rim, and shoot from anywhere on the floor. Brown can also control the game with his dribble and be a team’s lead facilitator.
Starting a freshman point guard is bound to come with its frustrations for Louisville this season. But Brown’s game should be ready to go, especially on the perimeter. The guard may have issues around the rim this season because of a skinny frame, but he’s worked hard to add muscle since arriving on campus and has shown confidence driving inside. Brown comes in as one of the best shooters on the roster and is already the team’s best offensive playmaker.
Defensively, Brown needs to be seen against high-level, older guards at the college level. And that’s the only thing that’s preventing him from being ranked one on this list. However, I still think Brown can be effective as a defender because of his length and athleticism. If he wants to pull up his shorts and defend, he will.
1.) Ryan Conwell
6-foot-4, 215 pounds, Senior — Indianapolis, Indiana
2024-25 Stats: 16.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 steals in 34 starts
In his one year at Xavier, Ryan Conwell proved to be one of the best scorers and high-volume shooters in the nation. As an All-Big East Third Team member, he got off 7.1 3-point attempts a game and shot at an impressive 41.3 percent clip from distance.
Conwell’s growth as a driver and finisher was also notable in his first year of high-major basketball. He also consistently made good decisions with the ball in his hands and showed another gear of athleticism when attacking.
Having accumulated 93 starts in three seasons, he’ll bring experience and, more importantly, off-the-dribble playmaking you can trust down the stretch of games. Conwell wants to make a deep tourney run and be ACC Player of the Year, and that’s what he’s capable of leading Louisville to. He’s the number one player in these rankings because of his role as Louisville’s most experienced perimeter scorer and ball handler.