Louisville center Aly Khalifa has been ruled ineligible for the upcoming college basketball season. The 6-11 big man was hoping to finish out his career in 2025 after transferring from BYU. The NCAA, for now, says that won’t be an option.

Khalifa played for two different programs prior to joining the Cardinals . He was a member of last year’s roster but did not appear in a game.

Reports that Aly Khalifa’s eligibility waiver was denied by the NCAA is an interesting development for Louisville basketball and its frontcourt.

Khalifa was a part of the 2020 recruiting class. He began his college career at Charlotte upon signing out of the NBA Global Academy in Australia. The Alexandria, Egypt native competed in two seasons with the 49ers before taking a step up in competition.

During his final year with Charlotte, he averaged 11.7 points and 6.3 rebounds a night. He joined Mark Pope at BYU in 2023-24.

Pope called Khalifa one of the best passing bigs in the sport. “He actually changed the way that I think about processing the game,” the now-Kentucky coach said . “Changed passing angles, changed alternatives, and changed the whole process of tracking.”

That passing is one of the things that caught the eye of Louisville head coach Pat Kelsey. It was on full display at times during practice last year.

Aly Khalifa showing off his passing ability in some practice clips posted over on his Instagram story.

Unfortunately, Aly Khalifa was unable to play in his first season with the Cardinals. Lingering knee issues were the cause.

“When I came to Louisville on the visit, we saw the doctors and they told me, ‘Yeah, you need the surgery,'” the center recalled. The plan was to take the year to rehab and return for his final season in 2025-26.

Now, his senior year is in doubt. The NCAA is ruling that his five-year window is up with the denial of a medical waiver. He’s played just three seasons, but without an overturning of the decision, his career is over.

The NCAA has ruled Aly Khalifa ineligible.

The message from the Cardinals’ coaching staff was clear in their courtship of Khalifa. “Do the surgery… We need you for next year. We’re going to get you in the best shape of your life.”

The program made true on that promise. Khalifa shed 50 pounds last season in preparation for his senior year.

Khalifa had surgery in the spring of 2024. He worked to get back in playing shape over the course of the next year. Now, questions surrounding that injury and recovery are surfacing.

The big man was technically cleared to play in January of last season. Pat Kelsey followed through with his initial plan of a redshirt season.

“Being cleared and being able to play at a high level [are different],” the coach said. “[He] can give you a possession or two at a time, but it’s going to take time to get stronger.”

Was he healthy enough to play? Did that have an impact on the NCAA’s decision? Those are questions being asked by those looking to make sense of the situation.

Kelsey didn’t want to burn a year of eligibility halfway through the season. It could now come back to bite. Below is a recap of Khalifa’s timeline thus far.

Louisville believes Aly Khalifa should have one more season of eligibility left. They said the knee surgery was required to continue his playing career, and that circumstance falls into the category of a medical hardship.

The school released a statement on the situation shortly after the NCAA decision. They will continue to fight the ruling with an appeal.

“Khalifa’s request for an extension of his five-year clock that would allow him to utilize his fourth and final season of eligibility was denied by the NCAA. The University of Louisville is appealing that decision and believes that Aly has a strong case that warrants an additional year. After earning his bachelor’s degree, Aly continues to work towards a master’s degree at the University while preparing for the 2025-26 basketball season.”

Khalifa has also reportedly hired a lawyer in his pursuit of eligibility. He’s not going down quietly.

His fate now hinges on the appeal process. His future remains uncertain, but he and the Cardinals are doing everything in their power to get him back on the court.