The second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s basketball season will see the Louisville Cardinals take on the Michigan State Spartans at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, as we are down to the last 32 teams of the campaign.
After defeating the South Florida Bulls in their first-round fixture with a scoreline of 83-79, the Cardinals will look to continue their run in the East region as they face the Michigan-based program that won its first-round game after emerging triumphant over North Dakota State with a final score of 92-67.
While it’s difficult to split the two sides and pick a sure-shot winner for this encounter, some injury concerns could dampen a certain team’s chances as both teams vie for a place in the third round of March Madness.
According to reports from MSU athletics reporter Connor Earegood, it is now confirmed that Louisville Cardinals star freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. is slated to be out of this encounter, a big setback for the Louisville-based program considering his output so far this season.
Having averaged 18.2 points so far this campaign, Mikel Brown Jr. is the Cardinals’ second-highest scorer, just behind fellow guard Ryan Conwell, who currently averages 18.7 points per game.
Mikel’s absence from the court is not newfound, as he has missed a significant portion of his team’s games from late February onwards, which also included the Cardinals’ first-round win over South Florida.
While Louisville is still stringing along nicely so far, it has lost a total of five games in Mikel’s absence while emerging victorious in eight.
Louisville Cardinals vs. Michigan State Spartans Injury Report
Barring Mikel Brown Jr.’s absence, the Cardinals are expected to show up with a complete roster with no other reported injuries.
Meanwhile, Michigan State will miss the services of a couple of its players in this all-important March Madness round two fixture.
Forward Kaleb Glenn, after sustaining a knee injury back in June last year, continues to sit on the sidelines not fully recovered and hence will miss this encounter. Guard Divine Ugochukwu has been missing in action since early February and will continue to do so as he is still nursing a foot injury.
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