Louisville basketball fell to SMU last night, 95-85, and the Cardinals' fans were quite upset with Louisville’s defensive performance. The Cardinals' defense allowed SMU to shoot 58 percent from the field and 47 percent from downtown, and Kelsey made it clear after the game that that simply is not acceptable against a team like SMU.
Louisville snapped its five-game win streak, and with just five games remaining, the Cardinals will try to move up in the ACC standings and NCAA Tournament seeds. There were some positive things from last night’s loss that Louisville fans can look forward to moving forward, and the main thing is Mikel Brown Jr.
Mikel Brown Jr. isn't slowing down anytime soon for Louisville
Brown’s dominant run continues as the true freshman has been nearly unguardable the past three games. The former 5-star freshman scored 29 points, a game high, while shooting 11-of-18 from the floor and 4-of-8 from downtown.
While Louisville fans have already known Brown is an elite scorer, he is entering a whole different level right now. The 6-foot-5, 195-pound point guard just re-entered his name in the Freshman of the Year conversation after last night’s game, as across the last three games, he is averaging 34.3 points while shooting 60 percent from the field and 62 percent from downtown.
Brown was the glaring silver lining last night as he showcased his ability to score nearly anytime he attacks the basket. The former 5-star is one of the best pure scorers in college basketball, attacking the rim and splashing 3-pointers, including one from the SMU logo.
Brown is a smooth player, and when he has confidence, he shows he can light up the scoreboard. Brown’s dominant three-game stretch, of course, got started when he scored 45 points on North Carolina State, breaking the ACC freshman record.
Now, he is showing that it was no fluke of a performance, and he is continuing to dominate on the offensive end for the Cardinals with back-to-back 29-point performances. The Cardinals' star guard has made eight or more field goals in all three games and four or more 3-pointers in every game, while shooting above 55 percent from the field and above 50 percent from downtown.
Before this three-game stretch, Brown was shooting 36.4 percent from the floor and 26.9 percent from downtown, but after this three-game stretch, he is now averaging 18.6 points while shooting 42.4 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from the 3-point line. The Cardinals' loss to SMU last night stung, but if anyone is looking for a silver lining, it was their freshman guard. This team is going as far as he can take them, and Brown is finding his shot and peaking at the perfect time.
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