Two Cardinals Invited to 2026 NBA Draft Combine

An incoming transfer for the Cardinals who is also tested the draft process was also invited.

Louisville Cardinals guard Ryan Conwell (3) laughs with Louisville Cardinals guard Mikel Brown Jr. (0) in the first half at the KFC Yum! Center in downtown Louisville February 9, 2026. | Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - A pair of former members of the Louisville men's basketball program will have the chance to make one final impression in front of NBA scouts and front office executives later this month.

Point guard Mikel Brown Jr. and shooting guard Ryan Conwell have both been invited to the 2026 NBA Draft Combine, the NBA announced Friday.

Additionally, Kansas forward Flory Bidunga, who announced his intention to transfer to the Cardinals but is testing the NBA Draft process as well, also received an invitation. 73 total prospects received an invitation to the pre-draft combine, which will take place on May 10-17 in Chicago, Ill. During the event, players will showcase their skills by playing in five-on-five games and participating in strength and agility drills.

Brown, when healthy, was one of the top playmakers in all of college basketball this past season, earning a Third-Team All-ACC selection. The 6-foot-5, 190-pound true freshman guard averaged 18.2 points, 4.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game, while shooting 41.0 percent from the field and 34.4 percent on three-point attempts.

During Louisville's emphatic 118-77 win over NC State on Feb. 9, Brown finished with 45 points to tie Louisville's single-game scoring record (Wes Unseld - Dec. 1, 1967 vs. Georgetown College). He also hit 10 three-pointers in that game, which tied a Louisville single-game record as well (Reyne Smith - Jan. 21, 2025 at SMU).

However, Brown wound up playing only 21 games (19 of which he started) due to a lingering lower back injury. He originally suffered the injury back on Dec. 13 vs. Memphis, forcing him to miss the next eight games. The injury was re-aggravated on Feb. 23 at UNC, Brown attempted to play through the injury on Feb. 28 at Clemson, but then would go on to miss the final six games of the season.

As for Conwell, who joined Louisville last off season as a transfer from Xavier, he was arguably the Cardinals' top player from this past season. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound senior guard started and played in 34 games, finishing as the Cardinals' leading scorer at 18.8 points while also averaging 4.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals. He might have shot a team-low 40.8 percent from the field along with 34.5 percent on threes, but it was still enough for him to earn a Second-Team All-ACC nod.

Conwell played some of his best basketball once the postseason rolled around. In two ACC Tournament games and two NCAA Tournament games, he put up 19.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.3 steals per game

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(Photo of Ryan Conwell, Mikel Brown Jr.: Matt Stone - Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)