Louisville basketball’s Mikel Brown Jr. has been dealing with back spasm and discomfort for quite some time now, as the Cardinals' star guard has been out for over a month. Brown’s last game was against Memphis on Dec. 13, when the former 5-star point guard scored 16 points while adding three assists, one block, one steal, and one rebound.
The Cardinals' 5-star point guard entered the season with incredibly high expectations as he ranked as high as No. 6 in the nation and was the No. 1 overall point guard in the 2025 recruiting class. Louisville fans knew entering the season it was likely to be a one-and-done campaign from Brown, and FanSided's Christopher Kline updated 2026 NBA Draft Big Board emphasizes why Brown is so valuable to this Cardinals team.
Mikel Brown Jr. remains projected top-10 2026 NBA Draft pick
Many Louisville fans have accepted that Brown is a one-and-done, and despite him missing the last eight games, his draft stock hasn’t really taken a hit. In Kline’s recent Big Board, the Cardinals' star guard is projected to fall around the No. 7 spot.
"Mikel Brown has experienced his share of ups and downs for Louisville, which is pretty standard for a 19-year-old point guard. His archetype isn't as valued as it once was, but NBA teams can't quit point guards, and Brown has a strong PG1 case in this draft. He needs to improve his physicality and finish better at the rim, but Brown is a clear NBA-level playmaker. He can manipulate the defense with stop-start handles, hit the gas pedal in a blink, and rifle passes on the move. He also boasts incredibly deep range on his pull-up 3s."Christopher Kline
Louisville fans deeply miss watching their star guard on the court, and him being a projected top-ten pick without playing the last eight games just proves how valuable he is to this Cards team. Louisville is averaging nearly 15 points less per game and shooting 33 percent from beyond the arc. And on top of stats, the Cards are 4-4 overall without Brown on the floor, including a 3-3 record against ACC teams, and a 0-3 record against ranked teams.
In the first 10 games with Brown on the floor, the Cardinals were 9-1, including a 2-1 record against ranked opponents. Louisville was averaging 94.3 points per game, shooting 48 percent from the floor and 38 percent from downtown, and was ranked as high as No. 6 in the nation.
Entering the season, Brown was projected to be as high as the No.4 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-5, 190-pound guard was coming off a massive gold medal run with Team USA and had the whole nation buzzing with excitement surrounding him. Brown’s 14.7 points, 6.1 assists, and 15.8 efficiency per game led Team USA in the FIBA U19 World Cup over the summer and shot 47.9 percent from the field, 48.8 percent from downtown, and 80.0 percent from the charity stripe.
There was tons of hype around the Cardinals' point guard, and he carried that into his first ten games with Louisville. He was second in scoring for the Cards with 16.6 points and first on the team with 5.1 assists per game. He also added 3.0 rebounds per game while shooting 38.1 percent from the field and 26.8 percent from downtown.
Brown recently returned to practice this week, and his status for tomorrow’s game is unknown at the moment. Louisville fans will learn this evening if he is probable, questionable, or out for their showdown against Virginia Tech. The Cardinals' 5-star point guard is trending in the right direction for a return, and if he isn’t available tomorrow, the dream is that he makes his highly anticipated return against No. 5 Duke in Durham.
For all the latest on Louisville basketball's 2025-26 season and recruiting, stay tuned.