March Madness is here. Upsets are loading, and teams are playing for their seasons. The Louisville Cardinals are on upset watch as the No. 11 seed South Florida Bulls are ready to play bracket buster in the first round. Heading into the tournament, Louisville had some worries about Mikel Brown Jr.’s status.
Louisville vs. South Florida Injury Updates
While an initial report stated that Brown’s status for Louisville in the first round was unknown, the Cardinals have since announced that he will miss the NCAA Tournament due to a back injury. He has been out for the last few games and will not suit up for the team’s opener. Brown is the team’s second-leading scorer with 18.2 points per game, just behind Ryan Conwell’s 18.7 points per game.
Louisville is in danger. The Cardinals have struggled to take care of business at times this year and have not been able to beat good teams. USF is no slouch of an opponent and is heading into this game almost fully healthy.
The Bulls have Xavier Brown and De’Ante Green listed as out for the season, and neither will be on the court against Louisville.
USF head coach Bryan Hodgson will be relishing the opportunity to play this one in Buffalo, which is right near where he grew up in Western New York. The Bulls are led by Hodgson’s great coaching and their leading scorers, Wes Enis and Izaiyah Nelson. Enis is averaging 16.8 points per game while Nelson leads the team in rebounds (9.6)
USF is one of the most popular upset picks heading into the first round, and the loss of Brown for Louisville makes it even more enticing.
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Louisville has to find a way to make up for the absence of Brown on the offensive end. His impact on the offense is undeniable, and he will be sorely missed. When Brown was hot, he was one of the best players in the nation.
Now, the Cardinals will be without him for their biggest game of the year. Louisville needs to get increased production from one of its other guards, Isaac McKneely or J’Vonne Hadley.
The Cardinals and Bulls are set to deliver fans a great battle on the early slate of Day 1.
Both teams can score and should set fans up for a shootout to kick off March Madness. Fans can expect fireworks and lots of points, even though the scoring prowess of Brown will not be on display.
