Louisville basketball is taking on the Miami Hurricanes in a few hours, as the Cardinals and the Hurricanes will tip off at 2:30 p.m. local time in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament. Louisville is currently seed hunting this ACC Tournament, but they are doing so without key point guard Mikel Brown Jr.
Mikel Brown Jr. injury: Louisville fans should be worried about the NCAA Tournament
Pat Kelsey gave Louisville basketball fans a promising update yesterday after the Cardinals' win, and if you are a Louisville fan, it should be exactly what you want to hear.
Pat Kelsey gives Louisville basketball fans encouraging Mikel Brown Jr. update
Brown was ruled out of the entire ACC Tournament with a back injury, as the Cardinals will hope the 5-star freshman is ready for the first round of the NCAA Tournament this time next week. With Jeff Goodman and some fans recently raising questions if Brown will play this postseason, Kelsey recently gave Cardinals fans positive news that Brown is “really close” in the latest update.
“We just need him to be 100 percent healthy,” Kelsey stated in a interview with Rob Dauster yesterday “He’s not going to play in the ACC Tournament. He’s close; he’s really close. We’re just gonna get through this week. He’s chomping at the bit to get out there and have him ready for the NCAA Tournament.”
Brown has missed four straight games, including this afternoon's showdown with Miami, and has missed a total 12 games on the season, once again including this afternoon. The 5-star freshman missed eight straight games from Dec. 13 through Jan. 23 and has been on the sideline since March 3 after he reinjured his back against North Carolina.
While the ACC Tournament is a huge opportunity for Louisville to gain momentum and climb the NCAA Tournament seeds, the Cards' No. 1 priority is to get Brown 100 percent for March Madness. Kelsey, stating the 6-foot-5, 190-pound guard is “really close,” is encouraging news that he will be ready for the first round, as the first round takes place on March 19 and March 20, which is exactly one week away.
The Cards fans continue to hold their breath with every update they get about Brown, but from his update yesterday, stating he “absolutely” thinks there is a chance he plays next week, to Kelsey's statement that he's “really close,” Louisville fans are getting encouraging updates leading up to the first-round.
Related: 3 Louisville Cardinals who must step up after Mikel Brown Jr.'s injury update
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