Louisville will be missing star point guard and projected NBA draft lottery pick Mikel Brown, Jr. when it faces Michigan State basketball in a second round matchup in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
A Louisville program spokesperson said Brown, who has been limited throughout his freshman season, will miss both games of the Cardinals’ opening weekend in Buffalo, ESPN reported. Louisville bested South Florida, 83-79, in the 6/11 matchup in the East region.
Not having to prep for Brown is a boost for Tom Izzo’s Spartans, who are coming off a 92-67 blowout win against North Dakota State in their opening matchup.
Tip-off is set for approximately 2:45 p.m. at KeyBank Center in Buffalo on Saturday, March 21. The game will be broadcast on CBS.
Mikel Brown, Jr. draft stock
Draft analysts view Brown as a likely lottery pick in what’s considered a loaded 2026 NBA Draft class. ESPN ranks Brown as the ninth-best prospect overall and the fifth-best guard on their big board. Brown is also ranked ninth on The Ringer’s NBA Draft big board. CBS Sports is even higher on the Louisville star, tabbing him the seventh-best prospect in the class.
As a freshman, Brown has average 18.2 points and 4.7 assists per game for Pat Kelsey’s Cardinals. He’s been limited to 21 games all season, having been bothered by a back injury that surfaced in December and has been reaggravated later in the year, according to the Louisville Courier Journal.
You can reach Arpan Lobo at alobo@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Louisville will not have star guard Brown against Michigan State
Reporting by Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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