Evaluating Freshman Impact: Louisville's Mikel Brown Jr.

Some people may not have been as aware of Mikel Brown Jr. back three weeks ago. However, based on how he’s played on a big stage this summer going into his freshman year in college, more are going to know him when he arrives this year at Louisville.

On3 Insider Jamie Shaw joined in on a conversation last week about the incoming freshman class with On3’s James Fletcher. That obviously was one that included Brown, the top point guard in the cycle who just made even more of a name for himself coming off his outing with Team USA at the FIBA U19 World Cup. When it came to Brown, though, Shaw just kept coming back to how skilled he is despite his size and frame, which will be his biggest advantage as a player now and prospect in the near future.

“The thing with Mikel is, when you say small guard? He’s not, like, a 5’11 guard. He’s 6’3. The thing with him is he’s thin. He doesn’t quite have that pop. When you look at the guys – thin, 6’3, that don’t really have the pop – do they have the skill base? Mikel Brown’s skill base is off the charts,” said Shaw. “His feel for the game and his actual, just, baseline level of skill when it comes to footwork, when it comes to angles, when it comes to reading, when it comes to IQ, when it comes to reads, when it comes to shooting? It’s all there. And I think you’re finding his ability to be able to kind of toggle in between finding his teammates, setting them up for the best situation possible and finding his own. I think that his footwork is able to create space and his IQ is able to make the read.

“If you look at the point guard position in the NBA, as we mentioned before? Guys like Steph Curry, Trae Young, you know, guys that aren’t the most athletic – what do they have? They have unbelievable skill and feel. Now, I’m not saying that Mikel Brown is Steph Curry, I’m not saying he’s Trae Young but any stretch of the imagination. But what Mikel Brown has…You know, either you’re a great shooter or a top-end athlete. Well, Mikel Brown is a great shooter. Mikel Brown is a big-time shooter on the ball, off the ball, relocating, getting his shot, stepping into it. Whatever the case, he’s a big-time shooter. He has a commanding presence and he consistently makes plays. So, he’s got that skill base, despite being, like you said, a small guard when it comes to his physical stature, the skinniness, not having the top end. What he has is that skill base and feel and I think that skill base and feel is what’s going to set him apart.”

Brown, an Orlando native, played his last season in high school at DME Academy in Daytona Beach, after also appearing previously in Overtime Elite. He would finish his prep career rated at No. 7 overall and as a Five-Star+ prospect in the 2025 recruiting cycle. He also rated as the No. 1 PG in the class and the No. 2 player out of Florida, after only Cameron Boozer (Duke). That’s according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

That said, even with that pedigree, Brown seemingly took an even bigger jump since mid-June when he arrived at training camp for Team USA. He made the dozen-man roster and, with great play and highlights, helped lead the United States to a gold medal at the FIBA U19 World Cup in Lausanne, Switzerland. That was with averages of 14.9 points (46.7% FG, 47.6% 3PT on 2.9 makes) and 6.1 assists as Brown made the All-Star Five for the event.

Brown Jr. was already highly-touted as a recruit. Even so, that has now shifted to where he could come into play in the 2026 NBA Draft, with Fletcher, despite having some concern about the limitations of his size, already regretting having him as low as the No. 20 overall pick in his most recent mock.

“I feel like everyone is trying to make the case for how high he could possibly go after some big time performances. I mean, the scoring has been there, the passing has been there and I’ve been impressed with. Obviously, he is in this small-guard category,” said Fletcher. “Now, if I could redo it already, I would have him higher up than I did in my Way-Too-Early Mock Draft that I did for On3 a couple weeks ago. But, of course, the core of that though is that he’s a small guard and you’ve got to figure it out with those players and what is their role going to be. Because, you’ve got – I mean, we talked about with (AJ) Dybantsa at the top of this class? A million different outcomes. All of them are amazing. You talk about Peterson? Fewer outcomes that he can achieve that get you to the top of the game. With Mikel Brown, it is a narrow, narrow pathway – but he might be just good enough to do it.

“The conversation then becomes, how high can you go in a draft? And I think it really is going to be so team-dependent. We’re not going to know where Mikel Brown’s range is until we know the lottery almost because there’s only a certain number of teams. A team that has a smaller guard? Probably not going to go and invest big draft capital. But a team that’s got some pieces on the wing, they’ve got a center in place, and they’re looking for that point guard of the future? I can see why you would throw all kinds of assets at getting this guy into your system.”

Shaw agreed that his stock could be dependent on how this next season goes for Brown as well as around the NBA. But, paired with the state of the prospects, both recent and incoming, at point guard, Shaw thinks that could make Brown one of the better-evaluated ones among these next few draft classes.

“In my opinion too, something that could help Mikel as well is there just aren’t a lot of good point guards coming through the ranks right now…You know, there’s just not a lot of good point guards that are coming through the ranks that check boxes, that have the height and size requirements, that have the skill base, have the shooting requirements and all that type of stuff,” Shaw noted. “That puts Mikel in kind of unique spot…Looking at where point guards are at here, there could also be a little bump behind Mikel because it’s just, there’s not many others foreseeing, or young ones that are currently there in upcoming (classes).”

Nonetheless, the present is now for Brown as he returns stateside to all but certainly be the starting point guard for the Louisville Cardinals. That’ll give him the chance for his game to not just grow but star as a possible must-see next season in college basketball.

“He’s going to get a great opportunity this year at Louisville. I mean, I feel like Pat Kelsey is going to tailor the team around him,” said Shaw. “Louisville has got high expectations this year – top-five or ten team, whatever it is, possibly unseating Duke in the ACC. But, in order for them to reach their expectations, Mikel Brown is going to have to be good.”

“Like you said, the skill is there,” Fletcher said. “There’s no question that he’s got that kind of talent.”