Mikel Brown Jr. is a key catalyst in Louisville’s run during the 2025-26 season, but his playmaking skills were notably missed in the Cardinals’ 83-79 victory over South Florida in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.
Coach Pat Kelsey will need to dig in deep again in Louisville’s second-round matchup against Michigan State on Saturday, as Brown remains out for the crucial game due to ongoing back issues that continue to sideline him.
Mikel Brown Jr. Remains Out for Louisville’s Second-Round Matchup With Michigan State
Brown did not suit up for the Cardinals in their first-round game against the Bulls in the East Region. Without him, the team relied on the consistent brilliance of Isaac McKneely and Ryan Conwell to win and move on to the next round.
When healthy, Brown averages 18.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game, and his high basketball IQ could play an important role for coach Pat Kelsey and his team if they go deep in the tournament.
However, ESPN college basketball insider Jeff Borzello dealt a blow to Louisville fans, who were hoping the five-star point guard would play in the crucial game against No. 3 seed Michigan State.
“Louisville star freshman Mikel Brown Jr. is officially OUT for tomorrow’s game against Michigan State, per the NCAA Injury Report,” Borzello wrote on his social media account. “The school announced earlier this week he would miss the weekend, but Brown left the door open for a possible return.”
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Louisville showed signs of missing Brown in its first-round game against No. 11 seed USF, coughing up 10 turnovers in the final 10 minutes to nearly blow a 23-point lead before narrowly escaping with a win to advance.
Including the game against the Bulls, the 6-foot-5 point guard has missed 13 games this season, and the Cardinals are 8-5 without him. Worse, Louisville is 1-4 against ranked teams, and the average margin of those four losses is 11.5 points.
Kelsey could once again count on the offensive power of McKneely and Conwell to pull off an upset victory over Tom Izzo and the Spartans without Brown or to tighten defense on Michigan State’s scorers. Louisville succeeded in limiting South Florida to 39% shooting from the field, including just 15% from 3-point range.
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However, it is easier said than done against the Spartans, who shot 59% from the field in their 92-67 first-round win over No. 14 seed North Dakota State. They made 50% of their 3-pointers and converted 89% of their free throws to secure a decisive victory over the Bison.
Tipoff for the Louisville-Michigan State game is at 2:45 p.m. ET on Saturday at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. CBS will broadcast the second-round March Madness matchup, while Fubo and Paramount+ will stream it.
