Mikel Brown Jr. will not make his return from a lower back injury for Louisville basketball’s Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opener against California on Tuesday at Haas Pavilion. The news came just 11 minutes before tipoff, with Brown, a promising freshman point guard and a projected lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, still in a back brace during warm-up activities.
Brown has not played since December 13, following a win over Memphis, and entered ACC play as UofL’s second-leading scorer, averaging 16.6 points per game along with 5.1 assists in 27 minutes per game. His shooting stats show a field goal percentage of 38.1% and a three-point shooting percentage of 26.8%.
Despite participating fully in practice on Sunday leading up to the game and being initially listed as probable, he was later downgraded to a game-time decision, highlighting the unpredictable nature of injuries in sports. Coach Pat Kelsey had expressed cautious optimism about Brown’s potential return.
Additionally, Louisville will also be without sixth-year forward Kasean Pryor, with details regarding his injury still unavailable at the time of publication.
Tipoff for the matchup between the Cardinals and the Golden Bears is scheduled for 9 p.m. The game can be viewed on the ACC Network and is accessible via various cable providers as well as through livestreaming services.
This situation emphasizes the resilience of collegiate athletes navigating injuries and the impact it has on team dynamics. As the season progresses, fans remain hopeful for Brown’s recovery and future contributions to Louisville basketball.