Louisville Signee Mikel Brown Jr. Cracks Top-10 in Early 2026 NBA Mock Draft

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - While we still have a few months until the 2025 NBA Draft, one future member of the Louisville men's basketball program is already generating lottery buzz for the 2026 iteration.

On Wednesday, ESPN released an early mock draft for the top 10 picks in the 2026 NBA Draft. The list was curated by ESPN's projections of the draft order, as well as their own analysis of the early prospect pool.

Rounding out the mock draft at No. 10 was none other than Louisville signee and McDonald's All-American point guard Mikel Brown Jr., who was projected to be picked up by the Portland Trail Blazers.

"A late-bloomer who sprouted from 5-foot-10 to 6-4 throughout his time at DME Academy (Florida), Brown shows impressive scoring instincts and talent as a ball handler, passer, and outside shooter," ESPN's Jonathan Givony wrote. "Thin-framed at 173 pounds and inconsistent as a finisher and defender, Brown's ability to gain strength and handle the physicality of the college game will play a significant role in his productivity as a freshman at Louisville and ultimate draft outlook."

Brown is a consensus top-three point guard in the 2025 cycle, and ranks as high as the No. 1 point guard in the nation according to Rivals and the No. 6 prospect overall by 247Sports. He's regarded as the No. 10 prospect in the class per the 247Sports Composite.

With a composite rating of 0.9966, Brown is the second-highest rated prospect to ever commit to Louisville in the modern recruiting era. Samardo Samuels' 0.9985 rating in the Class of 2008 holds the top spot.

Playing for the Cold Hearts in the Overtime Elite during the 2023-24 season, Brown put together a solid campaign, putting up 13.4 points, 5.4 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game during the regular season. During the playoffs, he averaged 15.3 points, 6.8 assists and 3.7 rebounds over six games.

Brown carried that momentum from the Overtime Elite playoffs straight into the summer. Playing for Team Loaded (N.C.) on the Adidas 3SSB circuit, he averaged 23.5 points, 3.4 assists and 3.1 rebounds over 11 games. He also helped the USA Basketball's Men's U18 National Team win gold at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup, starting all six games and averaging 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 5.2 assists.

So far during his lone year for DME Academy, Brown has absolutely exploded. In seven games tracked by MaxPreps, he's averaging 29.6 points, 2.7 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game, while shooting 62.7 percent from the floor and 61.5 percent on three-point attempts.

Brown is set to play in the 2024 McDonald's All-American Game, which is scheduled for April 1 at 6:30 p.m. EST from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The point guard is the Louisville's first McDonald's All-American since Samuell Williamson in the Class of 2022.

(Photo of Mikel Brown Jr. via University of Louisville Athletics)

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