Mikel Brown Jr. Makes Case for Top Point Guard in 2026 Class

Louisville signee Mikel Brown Jr., the seventh-overall recruit in the class of 2025 according to On3, had an outstanding FIBA World Cup last month, demonstrating the attributes that have contributed to his hype since he was a sophomore in high school.

On a United States team loaded with talents like AJ Dybansta, Caleb Holt, Koa Peat, and Brandon McCoy Jr., he was arguably the most impressive player, averaging 14.9 points and 6.1 assists per game on 47% from the field.

Though he struggled in the team's opener against Australia, shooting 3-for-14, he quickly rebounded and strung together several strong performances in a row, including a 24-point, eight-assist outburst against Cameroon and 24 points on 8-for-11 from the field against France. His cerebral nature as a lead guard helped drive the offense for the US throughout the team's run to the Gold Medal.

Mikel Brown Jr. is an extremely talented offensive player that likes to score as the ball handler in pick-and-roll situations – he can also distribute out of such sets, using an elite handle to navigate through traffic and get to the rim. He's evenly skilled with both hands as well, meaning he can't be forced one direction defensively, and possesses speed that lends itself to highly efficient scoring in transition.

A high-IQ guard that makes excellent reads, Brown Jr. will be one of many extremely talented back court players on Louisville's team this year. Head coach Pat Kelsey has been stockpiling weapons as if he's preparing for the apocalypse – Brown Jr. is one of those pieces, and he, along with Xavier transfer Ryan Conwell, will be a part of what could be one of the best offenses not just in the ACC, but in all of college basketball.

Brown Jr. also grew since he first burst onto the scene, now standing at 6-foot-3. He has top-10 potential in the 2026 NBA Draft, and was considered by many to be the best guard in the class even before his dominance in FIBA. After an absolutely miserable era of Cardinals basketball under Kenny Payne in which Louisville became a national laughingstock, Pat Kelsey has stepped in and helped lead a tremendous turnaround. Bringing in talents like Mikel Brown Jr. only underlines the direction in which this program is heading.