Louisville's Mouhamed Camara to redshirt freshman season
Louisville basketball wing Mouhamed Camara will redshirt his true freshman season, the university announced in a statement on Tuesday.
Camara didn’t suit up for Friday night’s exhibition loss to No. 19 Kansas, and afterward, Cards head coach Pat Kelsey mentioned the possibility of a redshirt.
“I have big plans for him, but the situation he’s in now (is) all about development,” said Kelsey.
The 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward out of Dakar, Senegal, played for NBA Academy Africa, and during his previous season, Camara averaged 10.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.8 steals, and 2.5 blocks per game this past year.
NBA Academy Africa has produced two NBA Draft selections over the past two NBA Drafts. Those two selections being Khaman Maluach, who was selected 10th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, and Ulrich Chomche, who was selected No. 57 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft.
He’s a versatile athlete who is just now tapping into his skills offensively. As of now, Camara is best in transition and the open floor when he can use his athleticism. He also has high upside as a defender and has proved to be a plus on that end of the floor.
A path to playing time was hard to see for Camara entering the 2025-26 season. He has the most to develop among the newcomers and was sitting behind several players at his positon — Khani Rooths, Adrian Wooley, J’Vonne Hadley, Isaac McKneely.
“Mo is a big-time athlete who has the ability to be an elite defender early in his career,” said Kelsey in July. “He can guard every position on the floor and disrupts both on the ball and at the rim. He has great tools and a mindset that craves coaching, which will allow him to develop quickly. He will be playing on an experienced, veteran team which will allow him to learn and grow daily. We are very excited to have him here at Louisville.”
Cardinal Sports’ David Hendren had this to say of Camara on his player profile: “Camara is a high-upside wing with a phenomenal athletic profile and great motor, but his feel and skill level must improve to see major minutes. Expect him to be a RS candidate going into this season, but there is a world where he can get onto the floor with his elite athleticism, high motor, and defensive skillset.”
