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Louisville's Mikel Brown Jr. following Cardinals' NCAA Tournament loss: 'It's hard not being out there with my guys'

Danby: Daniel Hager03/22/26DanielHagerOn3

Louisville star freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. missed his 14th and final game of the season Saturday in the Cardinals’ 77-69 loss to Michigan State in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament.

Brown Jr., who has been sidelined with a back injury, had not played since Louisville‘s 80-75 loss to Clemson on Feb. 28. His absence was detrimental for a Cardinals team lacking a true point guard against Michigan State‘s strong defense.

Postgame, Brown Jr. was visibly emotional when discussing his love for the program. He is projected as a Top-10 selection in the upcoming NBA Draft, which would mark Louisville‘s first since Samaki Walker (No. 9 overall) in 1996.

“I don’t think anybody understands the love that I have for these guys, this program, this coaching staff,” Brown Jr. said. “It’s hard not being able to be out there with my guys. Just seeing them battle and fight… it’s been a struggle. I can’t even put it into words. It’s hard.’

Brown’s tenure at Louisville kicked off with a bang, as he scored 29 points in a 96-88 win over No. 9 Kentucky in his third collegiate game. The win marked the Cardinals’ first over the rival Wildcats since 2021, giving Louisville fans hope of a historic season. They then knocked off Cincinnati en route to a 7-0 start and a No. 6 record in the AP Poll.

Mikel Brown Jr. had not played for Louisville since Feb. 28

His injury problems first flared up following Louisville‘s 99-73 win over Memphis on Dec. 13. Following that game, Brown did not play for the Cardinals again until Jan. 24. He then played in 10 consecutive games, before suiting up for Louisville one last time in its aforementioned game against Clemson on Feb. 28.

At one point in the season, it appeared as if Louisville could be a true threat to cut the nets down for the first time since 2013. That title has since been vacated, giving the Cardinals the opportunity to hang their first National Championship banner since 1986. They, however, lost five of their final 10 games to close out the season with a 24-11 record.

If there is a positive in the season, Louisville did advance to the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017. Head coach Pat Kelsey also earned his first career NCAA Tournament win. Mikel Brown Jr. will ultimately go down as one of the most talented players in Louisville basketball history, but also one of the biggest ‘what-ifs.’