Louisville basketball fans learned Tuesday afternoon that their former 5-star commitment, Mikel Brown Jr., will declare for the 2026 NBA Draft. The Cardinals' 5-star freshman season didn’t go as many had hoped, as Brown missed 14 total games, including both the ACC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament games.
Who's coming and who's going: Louisville basketball 2026 Transfer Portal tracker
While many Louisville fans will remember Brown’s lone season with the Cardinals as an underwhelming stint because of his unavailability, he did put on some special performances. Brown led Louisville with 29 points in their November win over Kentucky, and, of course, his best showing was the historic 45 points against North Carolina State, where he splashed 10 3’s.
Now, Louisville and Pat Kelsey face the big challenge of replacing Brown. The Transfer Portal opened up this morning, and with the Cardinals reportedly expecting to spend around $8-10 million for the second straight offseason, here are five win-now guards Louisville must target in the portal after Mikel Brown Jr. declared for the NBA Draft.