Louisville's Mikel Brown dunks on Kentucky's Malachi Moreno during Team USA practice

The Louisville–Kentucky rivalry never rests. Before ever suiting up for their freshman campaigns, Louisville commit Mikel Brown and incoming Kentucky freshman Malachi Moreno went at it on Monday during the USA Men’s U19 National Team Training Camp.

Brown got the better of Moreno, throwing down a monstrous jam on the McDonald’s All-American. Brown hardly reacted to his own jaw-dropping slam, jogging back down the court afterward as if it’d been a casual layup.

It was not, and others noticed. Despite receiving some positive reviews from attendees, Moreno was cut from the roster. Meanwhile, Brown advanced. There are 18 players left at the camp, with only 12 slots available on the team.

.@MikelBrownJr1 seen dunking on Kentucky signee Malachi Moreno at Team USA practice in Colorado Springs. pic.twitter.com/rKSwuzZdwe

— Jeff Lightsy Jr. (@jlightsy7) June 16, 2025

Alas, Brown should confident about his current standing on the roster. On Monday, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony projected Mikel Brown to be the team’s starting point guard when the dust settles. Givony’s prediction isn’t exactly a hot take.

Mikel Brown played high school basketball at DME Academy (FL), where he was the No. 7 overall player and No. 1 point guard in the 2025 recruiting cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Brown committed to Louisville over several high-level programs, including Kentucky. After the opening sessions on Monday, On3’s Jamie Shaw was complimentary of Brown’s game.

“The 6-foot-2 point guard lived with two feet in the paint during this session,” Shaw wrote. “His pace allowed him to open some things up for his team because of his read.

“Brown has a crafty handle and he was consistently able to put pressure on the defense, getting his primary defender off balance and attacking the advantage. He finished well at the rim, including probably the dunk of the day when he took off over two late rotating big men.”

Brown won’t be the only fresh face making waves at Louisville next season. The Cardinals stacked their backcourt this offseason, securing transfer commitments from guards Isaac McKneely and Ryan Conwell via the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Louisville is all-in on head coach Pat Kelsey. Last week, the school approved a one-year extension to Kelsey’s original five-year deal. The extension will keep the 2025 ACC Coach of the Year under contract through the 2029-30 season. It will also increase Kelsey’s salary from $2.3 to $3.3 million.

Mikel Brown won’t have to wait long to have another chance to face off against Kentucky’s players. The Cardinals and Wildcats will clash on Nov. 11 this year, the earliest the two teams have ever met in a season.