'We're happy' | Louisville big man Aly Khalifa ruled eligible after NCAA appeal

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- It's hard not to be a sucker for this kind of video.

Louisville coach Pat Kelsey, somber but resolute, stood in front of his team and said, "We've had to rally around Aly."

Big man Aly Khalifa, a 6-foot-11-inch native of Cairo, Egypt, had been ruled strangely ineligible after redshirting last season with the Cardinals.

Most around college basketball expected the matter would be resolved — that Khalifa would be cleared to play his final season.

On Friday, the news came: He's eligible.

In a video released by the school, Kelsey's tone shifted dramatically as he delivered the update to his players:

"We're even going to be better, because we just found out an hour ago that Aly Khalifa is eligible."

The room erupted.

Had a big team meeting today….

Stay til the end 🫡#GoCards pic.twitter.com/X1q4uTn1s1
— Louisville Men's Basketball (@LouisvilleMBB) June 27, 2025

Khalifa's attorney, Darren Heitner, posted on social media:

"Thank you to everyone at Louisville, from Coach Kelsey to Josh Heird and everyone in between, as well as Aly's amazing supporters. The NCAA did the right thing on appeal. No one deserves this chance more than Aly."

Kelsey has repeatedly praised Khalifa's impact last season, even without seeing the floor.

"He was an extension of the coaching staff," Kelsey said. "He sold our culture in the locker room every single day. He didn't score a basket for Louisville last year, but he was a huge, huge part of our success."

While recovering from knee surgery, Khalifa transformed his body — dropping nearly 50 pounds, from 299 to around 250.

His unique skill set fits Kelsey's system perfectly. He's widely considered — by Kelsey and others — to be "one of the best passing big men in the world."

Just ask his former coach, now Kentucky head man Mark Pope.

Speaking in Lexington before last season, Pope said coaching Khalifa at BYU reshaped his view of the game.

"He actually changed the way I think about processing the game," Pope said. "Changed passing angles, changed alternatives, and changed the whole process of tracking — tracking as a big, when you're working in any number of actions."

If healthy, Khalifa could be a major weapon for Louisville — a floor-stretching big who moves the ball like a guard and can anchor the offense while also being a threat from outside.

Kelsey credited Louisville's compliance office and athletic director Josh Heird for their work on Khalifa's behalf.

"They love you," Kelsey told him. "You're the ultimate example of what a Louisville Cardinal is all about — and we're happy."