One thing is for sure, and that is that Mikel Brown Jr. is having an offseason to remember. The incoming freshman for Louisville basketball is making a name for himself before he even steps foot onto campus.
The 5-star commit is the second-highest-ranked player in program history, and he is already learning that he is a future top-five pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. ESPN and the Athletic both predict him to be the No. 5 overall pick next year, meaning he is a future one-and-done.
Brown is ranked as high as No. 6 in the 2025 cycle and is considered the best point guard. While Louisville fans are well aware of his talent, Kentucky fans are also slowly starting to realize and admit that he will be one of the best players in the nation next season.
Related: Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr. just fired the first shot at Kentucky for next season
Louisville basketball’s Mikel Brown Jr. has Kentucky fans admitting the hype is real
These two programs first met in 1912 and have played each other every season since 1983, making the rivalry between Kentucky and Louisville one of the most notable in all of sports, particularly in college basketball.
It is rare to see Kentucky fans give props to the Louisville Cardinals, and so when the fans on social media realize Brown is going to be special next season, Louisville fans make sure to soak it all in. Well, after Louisville's incoming superstar dropped 24 points while shooting 73 percent from the field and 67 percent from downtown for Team USA on Sunday, even Kentucky fans had to admit Brown is going to be the best point guard in the nation next season, and it isn't even close, according to the Kentucky fan.
MBJ is the best incoming freshman PG and it’s not close btw.
— Pope’s Crib (@ScoopLexington) June 29, 2025
The Kentucky fan went on to state after this social media post, "Like. At all." admitting that the Cardinals' 5-star commit is the clear No. 1 point guard in the 2025 class. Brown's dominant summer and his tremendous outing on Sunday have even had Wildcats fans' jaws dropping.
Brown has already lit multiple fuses for the rivalry showdown on Nov. 11, as he first dunked on Kentucky's 4-star commit, Malachi Moreno, and then stated in an interview that the No. 1 matchup he has circled is against Kentucky.
The Louisville-Kentucky blockbuster showdown will be one of the best games in college basketball next season, and Brown's signing with the Cardinals over Kentucky sparked a new era of this rivalry.
Related: 5-star commit Mikel Brown Jr. just lit the fuse on Louisville–Kentucky rivalry
For all the latest on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned!