Louisville's Kasean Pryor is Back—but Don’t Expect a Rush Return Just Yet
By Russ Brown - Kentucky Today Oct. 09, 2025 | 07:07 AM | LOUISVILLE
Everyone knows Kasean Pryor will be back on Louisville’s basketball roster for the upcoming season, but the burning question remains: exactly when will he hit the court again? Surprisingly, even Louisville’s head coach Pat Kelsey doesn’t have a definite answer yet.
At the ACC Tipoff Media Days in Charlotte, N.C., Kelsey was clear when pressed about a possible return date for Pryor, saying, "I can’t speak to that right now." But here’s where it gets intriguing—he shared that Pryor’s recovery has been nothing short of impressive.
"His rehab has progressed wonderfully," Kelsey explained, emphasizing Pryor’s dedication. "He’s been all in, attacking every step with incredible focus. And Katie Creznic—our director of sports medicine and trainer—has been pivotal. We brought her over from Charleston, and we affectionately call her KTG, which stands for Kate The Great. She and Kasean have been working closely every step of the way."
Kelsey also highlighted Pryor’s mindset, which is just as important for a comeback as physical healing. "Even on the sidelines, his mentality has been top-notch," Kelsey noted. "His teammates can attest to that. He’s fully engaged in drills, soaking up every play in the huddles, asking questions, itching to get back out there. But here’s the key—we’re not going to rush him back prematurely. When he’s 100% healthy, that’s when he returns. And then, even after getting healthy, it takes time to rediscover his rhythm after being sidelined almost a full year."
Standing tall at 6-foot-10, Pryor only played seven games with three starts last season before a torn ACL against Oklahoma during the Battle 4 Atlantis ended his campaign. At the time of injury, he was delivering solid numbers, averaging 12 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
This upcoming season marks Pryor’s sixth year playing college basketball. His journey has been quite the odyssey: starting with two seasons at Boise State, then spending a year at Northwest Florida State, moving on to USF for the 2023-24 season—where he averaged 13.1 points and 7.9 rebounds—and now joining Louisville for the 2024-25 season.
No Catchy Slogan, Just a Laser Focus on Defense
Expectations are running high for the Louisville Cardinals this season, which is reflected in their No. 6 spot in ESPN’s preseason Top 25 rankings released recently. Topping the list is Purdue, with Florida, Houston, UConn, St. John’s, and then Louisville behind them. Other ACC teams on the list include No. 24 NC State and No. 25 North Carolina. In parallel, 247 Sports slotted Louisville seventh behind heavyweights like Purdue, UConn, and Kentucky.
Pat Kelsey shared his excitement about coaching this year’s squad, describing the team as having a unique blend of youth, experience, talent, and leadership. "Last year’s squad was great, no doubt," he said, "but this group has something special brewing."
Drawing from last season’s success—when Louisville finished 27-8, second in the ACC regular season, near champions in the ACC tournament, and secured their first NCAA Tournament berth in six years—Kelsey reiterated a core truth: defense will be the defining factor this season.
"Our team’s identity will be forged through our defense," he said. "Offense is something we can count on—that’s a given—but what truly matters is defense. We’ll be unyielding, tough, man-to-man defenders. But I’ll keep a few strategic changes under wraps for now—I’m not about to reveal all our secrets."
Interestingly, Kelsey has coined slogans for his past head coaching gigs—last year’s "ReviVILLE" at Louisville, "Rock The Hill" while at Winthrop (a nod to Rock Hill, S.C.), and "Our City" at Charleston. So, what about Louisville this season?
"Honestly, I don’t have a slogan right now," Kelsey admitted. "My full focus—100,000 percent—is on getting this team aligned, moving together toward greatness. My marketing skills may be on the decline, but my coaching and motivational fire have only grown. We have some brilliant and witty marketing minds here in Louisville, and if they come up with something catchy, we’ll surely go with it. For now, the priority is excellence in practice tomorrow."
Ryan Conwell, a transfer from Xavier in his first (and final) season with Louisville, gave a glimpse into Kelsey’s practice style: "Practices are intense but super fun—very competitive, very serious."
Full Schedule, TV Times Set
The Cardinals' schedule was mostly revealed last month, and just this week Louisville released the specific game times and TV channels. The team will play exhibition games against Kansas on October 24 and Bucknell on October 28. The official season opener is November 3 at home in the KFC Yum! Center against South Carolina State.
Louisville’s ACC schedule kicks off with a trip west, facing Cal on December 30 and Stanford on January 2. The school will also honor the late Junior Bridgeman with a jersey retirement ceremony (No. 10) during the Memphis game on December 13.
And this is the part most people miss: With so much anticipation around Pryor’s return, schedule, and team dynamics, what if Louisville’s true success hinges not only on defense but on how well the team adapts to this extended period without one of its key players? Is the patience in Pryor’s recovery a strength or a risk?
What do you think? Should Louisville push to accelerate Pryor’s return despite the risks, or is this cautious approach the best path forward? Share your thoughts below—let’s debate!
