CHICAGO – Mikel Brown Jr. had just spent 20 minutes coolly fielding one question after another at the NBA draft combine May 13.
The 20-year-old Louisville point guard talked about recovering from a back injury that limited him during his freshman season. He discussed being a likely lottery pick in June’s draft, maybe even a candidate for the Milwaukee Bucks at No. 10. He talked about his lights-out shooting ability.
After an NBA public-relations official said that Brown was done with his obligations, he began to step off the riser.
But he was hit with one last question. The dynamic guard was asked about what he liked most about playing a season at Louisville with 6-foot-11 big man Sananda Fru, who was a key acquisition for Marquette in the transfer portal.
Brown broke into a wide smile.
“Sunny!” Brown said. “I freaking love him.
“Just a big supporter. He loves his guards to death, you know, especially a guard that’s going to get him the ball. But I think when he’s locked in … one of the top bigs in the nation. One-hundred percent. When he’s locked in, it’s just a different type of beast that he is.”
That should get MU fans excited. Landing an impact big man was the top priority for the Golden Eagles this offseason. Fru, a native of Germany, averaged 9.0 points and 6.1 rebounds for Louisville last season.
Brown described Fru in the same way that former MU teammates talked about Oso Ighodaro, now in the NBA with the Phoenix Suns.
“Being able to guard guards,” Brown said. “Being able to switch pick-and-rolls. Being able to block shots. Being able to run the floor, he’s great in that aspect. I miss him to death. Can’t wait to see him again.”
Brown had one more point to make about Fru before getting back to preparing for his own future. Brown even banged on the interview table for emphasis.
“Sets nasty screens,” Brown said. “Got me open on a lot of shots and I got him a lot of freaking dunks.”
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Future NBA lottery pick Mikel Brown Jr. loves Marquette transfer Sananda Fru
Reporting by Ben Steele, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
