Adrian Wooley: Louisville basketball player profile
With a continued look into the 2025-26 Louisville Cardinals basketball roster, the eighth player in our basketball profile series is Adrian Wooley.
Previous player profiles: Sananda Fru, Mouhamed Camara, Kobe Rodgers, Aly Khalifa, Vangelis Zougris, Khani Rooths, J’Vonne Hadley
One of the more intriguing additions to the 2025-26 Louisville basketball roster is Kennesaw State transfer Adrian Wooley. According to the On3 transfer portal rankings, Wooley was considered a top 10 transfer.
During his lone season at Kennesaw State, he averaged 18.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. He also shot 51.2 percent from the field, while shooting 42.2 percent from three, according to College Basketball Reference. The Alabama native was also named Conference USA Freshman of the Year, while being selected to First Team All-Conference USA.
Pat Kelsey’s Thoughts on Adrian Wooley
After the signing of Adrian Wooley in April 2025, Pat Kelsey added the following thoughts on him: “Adrian was one of the nation’s top producing freshman this past year. He is a two-way player who can guard multiple positions. He is a dynamic scorer and playmaker with a high basketball IQ. As we did our background on him it was apparent that his approach, character and professionalism matches his talent. He has endeared himself to Card Nation already by being the first player to say ‘Yes’ in the portal, and that love will only grow when he puts the jersey on.”
Adrian Wooley Offensive Scouting Report
While at Kennesaw State during the 2024-25 season, Wooley was the offensive engine for his team. He was their primary creator, boasting a usage rate of 25.6%. However, despite that high usage rate, he was incredibly efficient shooting-wise, which I will detail later throughout this offensive report.
As a slasher, Wooley has both the frame and craft to do damage when getting downhill. He uses long strides to reach the rim, while possessing the shoulders and strength to handle contact in the process. Sometimes he can get himself into trouble playing off one foot, but he’s shown the ability to still finish plays in that fashion.
A less publicized part of his skillset that stands out is his ability to get to the FT line. Last season, Wooley posted a 0.4 free-throw rate, which is very high for this specific metric. He also averaged 5.1 free-throw attempts per game and was tied for 4th in the Conference USA in total free-throw attempts (169).
It’s important as a driver to not only capitalize on finishes at the rim or get to the free-throw line, but to have the instincts and feel to capitalize on passing openings. Wooley has a natural feel when he gets into the teeth of the defense, quickly spraying the ball out to open shooters on the perimeter. He is also comfortable navigating screens, finding rollers or corner shooters when the defense overplays on the drive. However, he must improve his assist-to-turnover ratio (1.1 to 1). His total averages were 3.6 assists to 3.3 turnovers per game.
In terms of his shooting profile from a technical standpoint, Wooley is dangerous in multiple facets.
As a catch-and-shoot option, he’s very reliable, knocking down 42.7 percent of his attempts, according to Synergy Sports. He’s a threat off handoffs, off-ball screens, or as a stationary shooter.
Not only is Wooley a threat off the catch, but he can also attack off the dribble. He has an array of moves as a separator, using stepbacks, escapes, and sidesteps to create space. On dribble jumpers from three last season, he shot 42.0 percent on 69 attempts.
Overall, he was very productive offensively, ranking in the 89th percentile in points per shot on high volume (averaged 12.3 field goal attempts per game).
Adrian Wooley Defensive Scouting Report
On the defensive end, Wooley is a dependable defender on the perimeter. He slides his feet pretty well and uses his length to contest pull-up shooters or in closeout situations off the ball. From all accounts thus far, he’s also been defending well in practice.
According to Pat Kelsey, during one of his ACC media day interviews, he described Wooley as a dog earlier in his statement, while elaborating on what he does defensively (0:00): “That dog mentality is his grit defensively. He loves to pick up and turn guys in the backcourt. Just a tough dude. I love AW.”
He is also consistently engaged on the defensive end, playing in a stance and fighting to stay in front. There is some room for growth off the ball, as sometimes he can be overzealous in trying to contain drives.
How does he fit in Louisville’s System?
From a temperament standpoint, Kelsey has been very outspoken about Wooley. His intangibles fit their DNA, as Kelsey elaborated on him during ACC media day: “AW is a dog. He’s got a grit and a toughness and competitiveness about him that I love.”
The 6-foot-4 guard also fits the bill of a dribble, pass, and shoot guard that can create for himself and his teammates on the offensive end, while being able to play off teammate creation as a shooter. As mentioned previously, he also has the motor and intent to defend.
His skill set will also allow him to play backup minutes at the PG spot. This will enable Mikel Brown Jr. an opportunity to either rest or play off the ball.
Bottom Line: Overall, Wooley is another dynamic guard that Louisville can rely on for shot creation, shooting, and defensive engagement. His offensive versatility will allow him to contribute in different ways throughout the season.
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