Louisville basketball is taking on the Pitt Panthers this evening inside the Petersen Events Center. The Cardinals will try to get back in the win column after dropping their third ACC game. Louisville fell 79-70 earlier in the week to Virginia, dropping them to 2-3 in their conference schedule.
Last night, Cardinals fans were praying for some good news from their starting point guard, Mikel Brown Jr., as Pat Kelsey has been without Brown for officially over a month now. The elite point guard and projected NBA lottery pick has been dealing with back spasms and discomfort, forcing him to miss seven games in a row. However, the Cardinals fans and Kelsey will have to wait a little longer as they found out he is out this evening against the Panthers.
Is Mikel Brown Jr. playing vs Pitt? Latest injury update on Louisville's PG
Louisville is set to play without its starting point guard for the eighth straight game, as Louisville hasn’t seen him on the court since mid-December. Last night, the ACC released the injury report for the Cardinals and Panthers showdown, and Louisville fans quickly realized the Cardinals must find a way to win again without the former 5-star.
Mikel Brown and Khani Rooths (and Spencer Legg) are both out again for Saturday night against Pitt pic.twitter.com/SyztEpTFBT
— Mike Rutherford (@CardChronicle) January 17, 2026
The Cardinals have struggled without Brown on the court, going 3-4 over the last seven games, including a 2-3 conference record. The Cardinals have already lost more regular-season ACC games this year than they did all of 2024-25
It goes far beyond just the record, though. Louisville is averaging 17 points less per game without Brown, dropping from 94.3 to 77. They also went from shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from downtown to 43.4 percent from the field and just 29.3 percent from beyond the arc.
Brown was a floor general for the Cardinals, and he makes everyone better. Without him on the floor, Louisville is without its engine and is scrambling for answers. The Cardinals' former 5-star is averaging 16.6 points and 5.1 assists per game, and when he plays Louisville is 9-1.
Cardinals fans are getting frustrated because there is no timeline for Brown, and Jeff Goodman reported that Louisville was “hopeful” he would return against Boston College or Virginia, but that obviously didn’t happen. Now, he is missing the next game against Pitt, marking his eighth straight game, and 35 days since he last played.
Kelsey consistently states Brown, wants to play and is working hard to get back on the floor, but the biggest question mark at the moment is when will that be.
Louisville fans will also see the Cardinals are without their 6-foot-10 forward, Khani Rooths, who will miss his second straight game. Rooths is a valuable piece off the bench, averaging 6.1 points and 4.9 rebounds per game.
For all the latest on Louisville basketball's 2025-26 season and recruiting, stay tuned.