Will Louisville PG Mikel Brown Jr. Play in the ACC Tournament?

The Cardinals take on SMU to kick off their run in the ACC Tournament.

Feb 23, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard Mikel Brown Jr. (0) with the ball in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - We still have a little over a week until the Big Dance gets started, but first. we have conference tournaments this week. For the Louisville men's basketball program, they will attempt to capture their first conference title since joining the ACC in 2014.

Next on the docket, having clinched the No. 6 seed for the ACC Tournament, the Cardinals are traveling to Charlotte to get their run in the conference started against SMU. Tip-off against the Mustangs is scheduled for Wednesday, Mar. 11 at 2:30 p.m. EST.

With the matchup less than 24 hours away, we have our first inclination as to who could play, and will not. On Friday night, the ACC released the first availability report for Louisville's matchup vs. SMU. An updated report will also be released at 12:00 p.m. EST tomorrow.

On Louisville's end, Mikel Brown Jr. was designated as "out" on the first report due to his lingering lower back injury, and is set to miss his third consecutive game - and 11th overall this season. In fact, Louisville simultaneously announced that he would be sidelined for the entire ACC Tournament, with "the goal of being ready for the NCAA Tournament."

"Mikel wants to play in the ACC Tournament, but we believe it is best to have him continue his path of improvement and have him 100% for the first round of the NCAA Tournament," head coach Pat Kelsey said in a statement. "He’s close and chomping at the bit to be out there with his teammates.”

Earlier in the season, the star true freshman point guard for the Cardinals had missed eight straight games due to the injury, and re-aggravated it in the game against North Carolina on Feb. 23. It had a notable impact on his availability and efficiency in the game at Clemson on Feb. 28, as he did not start against the Tigers and logged only five points, four assists and two rebounds in 21 minutes. He would then go on to miss the final two games of the regular season.

In the five games prior to the Clemson game, Brown was playing at an All-American caliber level, putting up 29.2 points, 4.8 assists and 3.2 assists per game, and shooting 52.2 percent from the field plus a blazing 54.0 percent on three-point tries. Playing in 21 games and making 19 starts this season, the 6-foot-5, 190-pound point guard is putting 18.2 points, 4.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game.

As for the Mustangs, they do not have to release an injury update until the game day report, but we have some idea as to who could be available.

Standout shooting guard B.J. Edwards, who has been out with an ankle injury since Feb. 25 at Cal, once again was sidelined for SMU's first round matchup against Syracuse. He had started all 28 games prior to missing the last four, and was averaging 12.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.9 assists and a league-best 2.3 steals per game.

ACC's Initial Availability Report for Louisville vs. SMU

Louisville Cardinals

OUT

• #0 Mikel Brown

QUESTIONABLE

• N/A

PROBABLE

• N/A

(Photo of Mikel Brown Jr.: Bob Donnan - Imagn Images)

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