Yesterday afternoon, Louisville basketball and NBA fans watched the 2026 NBA Lottery. This was a big day for Cardinals fans, as it gives them a slight lead on where the Cardinals' former 5-star Mikel Brown Jr. will be drafted, but also Ryan Conwell.
Louisville will likely see and hear two Cardinals get drafted at the 2026 NBA Draft, and now with the lottery over, Brown and Conwell’s next step is the NBA Draft Combine. These two elite scorers will represent Louisville at the Combine, and from there on, they will turn their attention to the NBA Draft.
Following the NBA Lottery, ESPN released its full two-round NBA mock draft, and by no surprise, Brown is a projected top 10 pick, and Conwell is an early second-round pick.
Ryan Conwell projected to go to Bulls with UNC and Kentucky star
As of now, Conwell is trending toward an early second-round draft pick, as the former Cardinal is an elite guard who can score in multiple ways. In ESPN’s latest mock draft, Conwell is selected No. 8 in the second round, and No. 39 overall by the Chicago Bulls.
In this mock draft, Conwell is joining UNC star Caleb Wilson, who is projected to be No. 4 overall, along with Kentucky center Jayden Quaintance. ESPN is projecting the former Cardinal to team up with a couple of old rivalries in Wilson and Quaintance, but the three playing together would bring a bright future for Chicago.
As for Brown, the former 5-star freshman is projected to go No. 8 overall by the Atlanta Hawks. The Hawks deeply missed an elite point guard this past postseason run, and the possibility of teaming Brown up with CJ McCollum would give Atlanta a great chance of earning a top-six seed for the second straight season.
"The Hawks' shrewd decision to trade away the 13th pick in last year's draft for this one -- the better of New Orleans' and Milwaukee's selections -- didn't result in a top-four pick but still moved them up five spots in a strong draft. Selecting this early after winning 46 games last season was a positive outcome for Atlanta, no matter where this pick fell. The Hawks lack a true point guard after moving on from Trae Young, and Brown's perimeter playmaking makes him an intriguing fit if they opt to go in that direction."Jeremy Woo
Brown will be the first first-round draft pick from Louisville since Donovan Mitchell back in 2017, and if he does go No. 8, he will be the first top ten pick selected from Louisville since Samaki Walker in the 1996 NBA Draft, when he went No. 9 overall to the Dallas Mavericks.
Also read: New NBA mock draft sets up perfect scenario for Louisville's Mikel Brown Jr.
For all the latest news and updates on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.
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