Coming off a gritty 76-65 win over Notre Dame, Louisville is finally showing signs of life in ACC play. After a rocky start, the Cardinals have now won four of their last five, including statement victories over Virginia Tech and SMU.
And while Mikel Brown Jr.'s return from injury has rightfully gotten plenty of attention-the team went 4-4 without him-Louisville’s recent surge is about more than just one player. It’s about getting whole again.
Khani Rooths and Kasean Pryor, both absent for much of January, made their presence felt in a big way against the Fighting Irish. Rooths posted his second straight double-double with 12 points and 12 boards, while Pryor delivered his best performance of the season-all in the second half-finishing with 10 points and 5 rebounds.
Their impact wasn’t just in the box score, either. Louisville outmuscled Notre Dame on the glass, 46-35, a margin that loomed large against a team anchored by the physical Carson Towt.
What made this win particularly notable was how the Cardinals pulled it off despite another cold night from beyond the arc. They went just 7-for-31 from three, marking the second straight game they’ve won while shooting under 30% from deep.
A week ago, that kind of stat line would’ve spelled doom. Add in a quiet night from their top backcourt duo-Brown and Ryan Conwell combined for just 18 points-and this had all the makings of a trap game.
Instead, Louisville found a way.
And a big reason why? Rooths.
His breakout week began with a KenPom MVP performance against SMU-20 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists-and has completely reshaped the look and feel of Louisville’s frontcourt. He brings a dynamic blend of size, bounce, and sheer athleticism that the Cardinals were sorely missing.
In a rotation that had leaned heavily on slower bigs and the undersized J’Vonne Hadley, Rooths is a breath of fresh air. As head coach Pat Kelsey put it after the game, “His energy, his grit, his tenacity, just the way he raises the level of the intensity of the game.”
But if Rooths is the spark, Pryor might be the fuse. Once Louisville’s standout player back in November 2024, Pryor’s season was derailed by a torn ACL.
Since returning, he’s struggled to carve out a role in a deeper, more athletic frontcourt. His tweener skill set-once a strength-left him stuck between positions.
And with more polished options now ahead of him, it seemed like Pryor might be the odd man out.
That changed against Notre Dame. With Hadley sidelined, Pryor got his shot-and made the most of it.
He brought energy, physicality, and just the right amount of chaos. His rebounding was key, his five-foot hook shot was automatic, and his hustle plays-like diving for loose balls and trying to bait Notre Dame’s Jalen Haralson into a technical-electrified the home crowd.
Even when he turned the ball over on a fast break, you could feel the buzz in the arena. The fans were locked in, waiting to see what he’d do next.
That’s what ties Rooths, Pryor, and Brown together: they’re the emotional pulse of this team. They’re the kind of athletes who can flip a game-and a crowd-with a single play. And for a team that slogged through much of January without that kind of juice, their return has been a game-changer.
Without them, Louisville leaned heavily on Conwell and Adrian Wooley to carry the offense. It was a more methodical, predictable approach.
The rim protection wasn’t there. The pace was slower.
The shooting, inconsistent. In short, it didn’t look like the kind of team Pat Kelsey wants to build-fast, aggressive, and fun.
Now, with Rooths and Pryor back in the mix, Louisville’s identity is starting to take shape again. There’s still plenty to prove-consistency has to come next-but the issues that plagued this team in December and early January suddenly feel a lot more fixable.
Maybe this wasn’t just a midseason slump. Maybe it was a team waiting to get healthy.
As February unfolds, we’ll find out just how high this group can climb. But one thing’s clear: Louisville has its swagger back.