The 2026 NBA Draft is set to take place tomorrow evening, and Louisville basketball fans are set to see a major draft drought end. Louisville hasn't had a Cardinal drafted in the first round since Donovan Mitchell was selected in the 2017 draft. And to expand on that, Louisville hasn't had a Cardinal selected in the top ten since the 1996 draft, but that is set to change.
Louisville's Mikel Brown Jr. receives eye-opening NBA comparison as draft approaches
Mikel Brown Jr. continues to gain momentum just hours before the draft, as the former 5-star freshman is trending as a potential top seven pick in the draft. Before the NBA Combine, Brown was looking like he was going No. 8 or No. 9 in the draft, but now, just hours before the draft, he is trending anywhere between No. 5 and No. 7.
Sports Illustrated's Kevin Sweeney recently released his final two-round mock draft for the 2026 NBA Draft, and Brown continues to trend up in the draft and hear good news.
Mikel Brown Jr. continues to rise in NBA mock drafts
The NBA Draft is one of the most exciting times in the offseason for basketball fans, as college basketball fans get to watch their favorite players see their NBA dreams come true. For Louisville fans, they will watch Brown etch his name in Louisville history books, as Sweeney projects him to go No. 6 overall to the Brooklyn Nets, making him the first Cardinal drafted in the top six since Felton Spencer was drafted No. 6 overall in the 1990 draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Sweeney had extremely high praise for Brown, reporting there is a "strong case" the Cards' 5-star is the "most talented" point guard and has All-Star potential.
"There’s a strong case to be made that Brown is the most talented point guard in this class, but didn’t have quite as strong a college season as the likes of Acuff and Wagler after a lingering back injury caused him to miss 14 games. His best moments make him look like a future perennial All-Star though, with high-level shooting ability off the dribble and rare ability to take over games as a passer. He arguably outplayed Dybantsa as the best player on the USA U19 team that won gold at the FIBA World Cup last summer."Kevin Sweeney
The 6-foot-5, 190-pound guard is coming off an impressive season, but a back injury shortened it. However, in the games he played, Brown showed why he has such a high ceiling and the potential to be the best point guard from this class.
Sweeney is projecting Brown to go No. 6 overall, and is another expert who is predicting Brown to go in the top seven, and the Sports Illustrated draft expert actually has him higher than some others at No. 6.
The Field of 68's Jeff Goodman recently took a survey with 10 NBA executives and asked which of the NBA Draft point guards were the best, and Brown earned the most votes with four. This survey certainly hints that Brown could be drafted before many thought at first. Now, just hours before the draft, in Sweeney's final mock draft, he has the Cardinal going second among point guards as he continues to gain momentum.
Also read: NBA executives hint Mikel Brown Jr. might snap a 37-year Louisville drought
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