Season in review: Louisville big Aly Khalifa
Welcome to “Season in review,” a post-season Louisville basketball series highlighting each individual performer and their impact on the Cardinals’ 2025-26 season. Now, we shift our focus to Aly Khalifa.
Previously: Khani Rooths, Sananda Fru, Isaac McKneely, J’Vonne Hadley, Mikel Brown Jr, Vangelis Zougris, Ryan Conwell, Adrian Wooley, Kobe Rodgers
Khalifa: 35 games, 3.3 pts, 1.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.3 steals, 0.4 blocks, 43.8% FG, 40.9% 3PT
The big man from Egypt’s college career has come to an end, spanning three schools over five years.
Coming into the 2025-26 season, there was a sense of unknown with Aly Khalifa, but expectations were tempered considering him coming off a left knee injury. This was a lingering injury from his previous stops, so he used the 2024-25 season to rehab it.
All things considered, Khalifa may have underwhelmed, but he had his moments in a Cardinal uniform. His best performance came against the Duke Blue Devils on January 6th, 2026, a game in which he totaled 17 points, two rebounds, one assist, and two steals. He was a perfect 6-for-6 from the field, including 5-for-5 from three-point land.
Offensive productivity
Not only was Khalifa the best passing big man on the team, but he was one of the best passers on the roster in general. Alongside Mikel Brown Jr., Khalifa was arguably the best processor. He excelled as a hub in the high post, where he excelled in finding cutters. His shooting gravity pulled bigs out to the perimeter, which opened up his ability to find cutters.
The 6-foot-10 big man was dependable in hand-off actions too, with the ability to fake handoffs, or to hand off and pop. He also shot his best mark from deep for his career during the 2025-26 season. This was the first time he eclipsed the 40 percent mark from deep for a season during his college career. Amongst those who shot 10 or more threes on the season on Louisville’s roster, Khalifa ranked second on the team in three-point percentage. The only player he trailed in this department was J’Vonne Hadley, who shot 44 percent from three on the season.
Unfortunately, he didn’t provide the Cardinals with much interior scoring. On the year, he was 1-for-6 in post-up situations, according to Synergy Sports. It would’ve been ideal for him to be able to capitalize on switches more often, considering his size, but additionally as a passer. If he were more consistent in scoring inside, double-teams would arise, resulting in more passing angles for him to take advantage of.
Underwhelming defensive presence
Coming into the season, Khalifa’s mobility was a question mark given his knee injury. Overall, he has struggled on this end of the floor throughout his career.
This season, he had issues guarding in space, specifically in ball-screen actions. He had issues hedging and recovering, while also defending guards in space. Where he was most comfortable was in drop coverage, where he couldn’t get exposed laterally on the perimeter. Physical bigs and downhill slashers could also give him issues in the paint, especially considering his lack of rim protection.
The Bottom Line
Khalifa provided value as a floor-spacer and passer, but had his shortcomings defensively and around the rim offensively. However, it is important to note his positive presence on the bench. He was an extension of the coaching staff and provided veteran leadership. Khalifa also had a lot on his plate considering he came off a knee injury, but provided a unique skillset from the center position.
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