Pat Kelsey gives NBA teams a reason to think twice about passing on Mikel Brown Jr.

The 2026 NBA Draft has finally arrived, and Louisville basketball fans will get to see a Cardinal selected in the first round for the first time since 2017. Mikel Brown Jr. is trending as a lock in the top ten, and recently, his draft stock is rising just slightly as he is emerging as one of the top point guards in the draft.

NBA executives hint Mikel Brown Jr. might snap a 37-year Louisville drought

Brown missed 14 games with the Cardinals this past season due to injury, and while some Cardinals fans are upset by the 5-star availability, his former head coach, Pat Kelsey, has nothing but love for the former Cardinal. Kelsey was recently interviewed before the NBA Draft on Tuesday evening, and when asked about Brown and his talents, he sent a bold message to everyone.

Pat Kelsey sends bold warning to NBA teams about Louisville's Mikel Brown Jr.

Kelsey is one of the more passionate coaches in college basketball, and one of his best attributes is always standing up for his players, Brown included. The Cards' head coach gave Brown extreme praise leading up to the NBA Draft, doing his best to help Brown get drafted as early as possible.

"You said a top 10 pick in the draft, anybody that passes on him is going to be sorry that they did," stated Kelsey in the interview. "I've been blessed in my career to be around some great guards, Chris Paul is one of them. I was at Wake Forest his two years there. Mikel is touched by God. He is a special talent."

Brown played one year under Kelsey, and while it was just 21 games, he showed how high his ceiling and potential are in that small sample. At 6-foot-5, 290 pounds, Brown is an explosive guard who can attack the rim and jump with nearly anybody, and has the limitless range to shoot well beyond the arc.

Brown has been gaining momentum in recent mock drafts, trending as a potential top-five pick, and Kelsey made it clear that any team that passes on the Cardinal is making a big-time mistake.

Brown set the ACC freshman record for most points in a single game after his historic 45-point game against North Carolina State. That historic game also tied Louisville's single-game record for most points by any player, and he tied the Cardinals' record for most made 3s in a game after splashing 10 3-pointers against the Wolfpack.

The top four picks are almost a lock at this point between BYU’s AJ Dybantsa, Duke’s Cameron Boozer, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, and North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson, but after that top four, Brown has a legitimate chance to be that No. 5 overall pick by the Los Angeles Clippers. Brown recently worked out for the Clippers, and Jeff Goodman conducted a survey asking 10 NBA executives who the best point guard in the draft is. Of the 10 votes, Brown received the most first-place votes with 4.

Also read: NBA executives hint Mikel Brown Jr. might snap a 37-year Louisville drought

For all the latest news and updates on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.

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