The wait is almost over, but Louisville's star forward Kasean Pryor's return to the court is still uncertain. Coach Pat Kelsey is keeping mum on a specific timeline for Pryor's comeback, but he's thrilled with the forward's progress. 'We don't want to rush it,' Kelsey said during the ACC Tipoff Media Days. 'We want him to come back when he's fully healthy.' But here's where it gets interesting - Kelsey's cautious approach might just be the key to the Cardinals' success this season.
Kasean Pryor, a 6-foot-10 forward, is expected to make a significant impact when he returns from a torn ACL that ended his season early last year. At the time of his injury, Pryor was averaging 12 points and 6.1 rebounds across seven games, with three starts. His rehab has been going great, thanks in part to the efforts of Katie Creznic, Louisville's director of sports medicine, who Kelsey praises as 'the best in the country.' Pryor's mentality has been impressive, even when he's not on the court. 'He's leaning forward, and in every huddle, he's asking questions and champing at the bit to get out there full go,' Kelsey said.
Pryor's journey to Louisville has been a long one. The Chicago native began his college basketball career at Boise State, where he spent two seasons before transferring to Northwest Florida State for a year. He then moved to USF for the 2023-24 season, where he averaged 13.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. Finally, he transferred to Louisville for the 2024-25 season. This will be his sixth college basketball season, and expectations are high.
The Cardinals are ranked No. 6 in ESPN's preseason Top 25, and Kelsey is excited about the team's potential. 'People talk a lot about the revival team last year. That's last year,' Kelsey said. 'This group has a chance to be special, a special makeup of young men both from an experience standpoint, talent standpoint, leadership standpoint.' And this is the part most people miss - Kelsey's focus is on defense. 'The caliber of our team will be the caliber of defense we become,' he said. 'We'll be able to score. That's not in question. But the identity has to be defense, above all.'
Kelsey's approach to the season is refreshingly straightforward. Unlike his previous head coaching jobs, where he developed slogans like 'ReviVILLE' at Louisville last year, 'Rock THe Hill' at Winthrop, and 'Our City' at Charleston, he doesn't have a catchy phrase for this season. 'To be honest, my 100,000 percent focus is getting this team on the same page, moving in the same direction, give it the best chance to be special,' Kelsey said. 'So my marketing acumen has gone down a little bit, but hopefully my coaching and motivation acumen has gone up.'
One player who's already experienced Kelsey's coaching style is Ryan Conwell, a transfer from Xavier who's in his first and only season with the Cards. 'Practices are super fun -- super competitive, though; very intense,' Conwell said.
The Cardinals' schedule is set, with tipoff times and TV channels announced. They'll play exhibition games against Kansas on Oct. 24 and Bucknell on Oct. 28 before opening the season against South Carolina State on Nov. 3. The team will honor the late Junior Bridgeman with a jersey retirement ceremony at the Memphis game on Dec. 13.
As the season approaches, the question on everyone's mind is: will Kelsey's cautious approach to Pryor's return pay off? Some might argue that rushing Pryor back could give the team a much-needed boost, while others believe that Kelsey's prioritizing his player's health is the right call. We want to hear from you - do you think Kelsey's approach is the right one, or should Pryor be rushed back onto the court? Share your thoughts in the comments.
