Despite not yet playing a second of collegiate hoops yet, Mikel Brown Jr. already has a 2026 NBA Draft projection. Per CBS Sports’ latest mock of next year’s draft by Kyle Boone on July 3, the incoming Louisville Cardinals freshman is expected to be selected by Charlotte Hornets with the fourth overall pick in the first round.
This means that Brown Jr. may join a Hornets squad that recently finished the 2024-25 campaign with an overall record of 19-63, concluding the year as the No. 14 seed in the Eastern Conference. Highlighted by the likes of All-Star LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges and Tre Mann, Charlotte missed out on the NBA Playoffs last season and are looking to reach at least the Play-Ins this upcoming season.
Should Brown Jr. be drafted by the Hornets, then he will be able to play alongside Ball who is an entertaining and shifty facilitator himself. The likely one-and-done standout for Louisville will be able to learn under the guidance of Ball in the 2026-27 season, if the latter stays with the Hornets.
Brown Jr. is coming into the Cardinals after his senior year at DME Academy and stints with Team USA at U18 and U19 competitions, which has helped his case as the No. 6-ranked five-star recruit in the high school class of 2025 per 247Sports.
Louisville Cardinals Coach Pat Kelsey Believes Mikel Brown Jr. Is A Championship-Level Point Guard
When Mikel Brown Jr. was officially announced to be committed to the Louisville Cardinals for the 2025-26 college basketball season back on Jan. 1 of this year, coach Pat Kelsey praised him after Louisville’s New Year’s Day win over the North Carolina Tar Heels. At halftime of the Cardinals’ 83-70 win, Brown Jr. was introduced at center court.
“I’ve coached some great, great, great ones, and I think Mikel is special. He’s a special talent, and he’s a championship point guard, just like Chucky Hepburn is. I think that was probably a big part of Mikel’s decision…I think our system is a fun system to play in, and Chucky has absolutely thrived, and I’m sure Mikel l sees that same thing,” Kelsey was quoted as saying. (18:08)
Brown Jr. is now set to join the Cardinals who finished the 2024-25 season with an overall record of 27-8 (18-2, ACC). Coach Kelsey and his players made it to this year’s NCAA tournament, but were eliminated by the Creighton Bluejays in the first round of the South region through a 14-points loss, 89-75. Louisville now aims for a better postseason outing next year now with the likes of Brown Jr.
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