Louisville basketball’s 2025-26 season came to an end on a sour note after the Cardinals fell to Michigan State with its star guard Mikel Brown Jr. on the sideline. The 5-star freshman was one of the highest commitments in program history, and with the Cardinals now turning its attention to the Transfer Portal, the latest NBA mock draft makes it clear Pat Kelsey will have to go get a starting point guard.
Predicting which Louisville basketball players leave or stay with Cardinals next season
The Cardinals will lose many key players this offseason, but FanSided’s Christopher Kline recently updated his NBA mock draft, and with Brown projected to be a top 10 pick, it feels like he is painting a grim picture that Brown won’t return and will declare for the NBA Draft sooner rather than later.
NBA mock draft just confirmed Louisville will need to get a guard
Louisville, as of right now, has Adrian Wooley and London Johnson on the roster, but it certainly sounds like Wooley is on his way out as well, and if Louisville wants Final Four dreams, they will need more than just Johnson at point guard.
As of now, the fans' biggest need for the portal is the frontcourt. Louisville was often outmatched and not as physical down low in the paint, but if Kelsey loses Brown and Wooley, he will be forced to go after guards who can attack downhill, create their own shot, and be a threat beyond the arc, similar to Ryan Conwell and Brown.
Louisville has been trending with British point guard Quinn Ellis, who would be a big-time addition. But the Cardinals fans are hearing the asking price is being raised, and now, with the portal opening up in less than a week, Kelsey will have to make a move quickly.
When Brown does declare for the NBA Draft, it will sting a little to the Cardinals fans, and some are definitely praying the 5-star freshman returns, but the majority know it is coming. All season long, the true freshman has been projected as a top 10 pick in the NBA Draft, and it is rare to ever see a 19-year-old return to college basketball when he has the potential to be that high of a pick in the NBA Draft.
While his dream was to win a National Championship for Louisville, his ultimate dream is to go play in the NBA. Kline has Brown going No. 9 overall to the Atlanta Hawks. The 6-foot-5, 190- pound point guard will fit perfectly with the Hawks as Atlanta is one of the hottest teams in the NBA at the moment, and with the Hawks trading Trae Young away, they are in dire need of an elite point guard.
It won’t be easy to replace Brown, especially if Wooley does enter the Transfer Portal, but if both leave, Kelsey is going to have his hands full this offseason and will have to do his best to go get some elite guards to fill some big shoes.