Louisville basketball is one of the most historic programs in college basketball, but it isn’t a program that usually lands 5-star recruits. Mikel Brown Jr. made history when he signed with the Cardinals, as he is the second-highest-rated commit in modern recruiting history according to 247Sports, and this freshman season he meant a whole lot to Louisville’s program.
Mikel Brown Jr. delivers promising update with his NCAA Tournament status unknown
Despite Brown likely playing just one season for Louisville, he will always be a fan favorite. But, is it a lock he is leaving Louisville after the season? On paper, of course, it feels like an easy decision for Brown, and he is trending to be a Top 10 pick in the NBA Draft, but Brown made it clear that playing in the NCAA Tournament was a childhood dream of his, and if he doesn’t get the experience he has dreamed of since he was a kid, should returning to Louisville something he actually should consider? Let’s make a case for it.
Mikel Brown Jr. still has a chance to shock college basketball and Louisville fans
To start things off, Kelsey made it clear Brown is “chomping” at getting back out on the floor, and he wanted to play in the ACC Tournament badly. Brown’s freshman season wasn’t how many had planned it, as he had some up-and-down moments, shooting a bit inconsistently at 41 percent from the floor in the regular season. Unfortunately, the story of his season was a back injury that caused him to miss 12 games, including the past four.
His last memory on the court was against Clemson, where he was clearly bothered by discomfort as he came off the bench, played just 21 minutes, and was on the bike for long periods. And now he missed the entire ACC Tournament, and some are speculating if he will even play in the Big Dance next week. For someone who is so well-liked by the fanbase and for a program that rarely gets 5-star commitments and top-10 players in a recruiting class, it certainly feels like he deserves a way better Louisville sendoff if that Clemson game was his last game.
Looking ahead to next season, too, Louisville would have a team many would be high on, with Brown joined by Adrian Wooley, Khani Rooths, Vangelis Zougris, Sananda Fru, and, hopefully, Pat Kelsey hitting the Transfer Portal hard once again. Wooley and Rooths are two sophomores who just need consistent playing time and need confidence, and with them likely to start next season, if Brown returned, the 5-star freshman, and Wooley would be a backcourt many would have a hard time stopping.
Then say Kelsey goes and lands two more 4-star transfers and one more 5-star transfer like he did last year. Imagine Brown and Wooley in the backcourt, Kelsey goes and gets a 5-star small forward, Rooths at power forward, and lands a 4-star center, and gets another 4-star guard that can come off the bench.
If Brown brings in players via the portal, they would be much more intrigued by coming to Louisville, and the Cards would have Final Four dreams once again with Brown leading the way. Another year of college ball would allow him to grow and develop further, address his turnover concerns, live his dream of playing a full college basketball season, and make a run in the NCAA Tournament.
Again, is this likely? No, probably not. It feels like Brown is a lock to go to the NBA, live his other childhood dream, and hear his name called as a Top 10 pick in the NBA Draft. But, if Brown were to decide to go to the NBA a year later, Louisville fans would be sent into a frenzy, and this Cardinals program would hopefully continue to trend in the right direction because of the Orlando native.
Related: Pat Kelsey's Mikel Brown Jr. injury update is exactly what Louisville fans want to hear