Mikel Brown Jr. has not only been the talk of the town of Louisville basketball, but he has also been the talk of college basketball. After his first 24-point performance for Team USA at the FIBA U19 World Cup, he quickly became the nation's favorite point guard.
The Cardinals have a legitimate shot at the 2026 National Title, and a lot has to do with Louisville's 5-star point guard. Brown is an elite playmaker who can shoot from well beyond the arc, possesses exceptional court vision, plays at his own pace, and can take over the game when needed.
Well, after his spectacular showing in Switzerland for Team USA a Louisville Cardinals fan page "Louisville Sports Live" posted on X stating " Mikel Brown Jr. is the best freshman at UofL since...." and well one of the best players to ever wear a red and black jersey responded, and he gave the 5-star freshman extremley high praise.
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Donovan Mitchell sends legendary praise to Mikel Brown Jr.
Louisville legend and now NBA superstar Donovan Mitchell quickly responded to the social media post, giving high praise to Brown with just one word.
"Ever?" Mitchell stated.
Ever?
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) July 10, 2025
And well he might not be wrong. Brown is the second-highest commitment in Louisville history, according to 247Sports. He ranks as high as the No. 6 overall player in the 2026 cycle and the No. 1 point guard in the class.
Mitchell is a Louisville legend who still proudly represents the University of Louisville Cardinals. He played for Louisville from 2015 to 2017 before declaring for the NBA Draft after his two seasons. The six-time NBA All-Star holds the record for most NBA All-Star appearances from Louisville alums, and also has the most career points scored in the NBA with 13,320.
To hear Mitchell state that Brown is the best Louisville basketball commit ever is high praise, but it also gets the fans and program even more excited for what is to come this upcoming season.
Brown is projected to be a top-five pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, which would make him the first Cardinal selected as a top-five pick in an NBA Draft since Pervis Ellison in 1989.
The incoming 5-star phenom looks to shatter history books and guide Louisville to its first NCAA Tournament win since Mitchell did back in 2017. However, his goals don't just stop there, as he has made it clear that he wants to win and raise a banner in KFC Yum! Center and make his one-year run with Kelsey special.
Related: Mikel Brown Jr. brings Louisville exactly what they've craved since Donovan Mitchell
For all the latest on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.