Louisville HC Pat Kelsey Provides Updates on Mikel Brown Jr., Kasean Pryor

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville men's basketball program is currently dealing with a pair of noteworthy injuries.

Star true freshman point guard Mikel Brown Jr. has missed the last four games due to a lower back injury. Additionally, sixth year forward Kasean Pryor did not play in either of the Cardinals' West Coast games this week due to lingering issues in his knee.

Following Louisville's (11-3, 1-1 ACC) loss at Stanford on Friday night, head coach Pat Kelsey provided an update for both players.

With Brown, he made the trip for Louisville's games at Cal and Stanford in an attempt to play, but Kelsey said he had a "little bit of a setback" in their last practice. Previously, Kelsey had said he was a full participant in the practice before Tuesday's game vs. Cal.

"He's trying his butt off, man," Kelsey said in a postgame interview with 93.9 The Ville. "He's rehabbing hard, he's trying to go. We've ramped him up a little bit, and he went in practice, and then he had a little bit of a setback. We're hoping it gets better soon.

"He's day to day. He wants to be out there, he wants to play. He tried to get up and down a little bit yesterday in practice, and it just still doesn't feel right. So hoping for the best, he's trying, and hopefully he'll be out there soon."

As for Pryor, the timetable for his return is a little more murky. Kelsey revealed that he has not practiced much over the last couple weeks, and wasn't even a full participant in their practice before the game at Stanford.

"He just hasn't practiced much at all," Kelsey said of Pryor in the postgame press conference following the Stanford loss. "He wasn't even full contact yesterday at practice. Since we left, for Christmas break, he hasn't practiced one time. Just having some issues with his injury, coming off the surgery with his knee that we're that he's working through. He wants to be out there.

"He wants to be out there, just with depth and stuff like that. He was cleared to play, so he could have played tonight, but literally he hasn't practiced one time. (It was) non-contact yesterday, he was able to get up and down a little bit full speed today at the shootaround him. So just, he wasn't ready."

Brown has been a sensational player when on the floor for the Cardinals. Suiting up in 10 games so far this season, the 6-foot-5, 190-pound guard is averaging 16.6 points, 5.1 assists and 3.0 rebounds.

Pryor has played in seven games so far this year, but hasn't been nearly the same player after tearing his ACL last season. So far, he's averaging 3.1 points and 2.6 rebounds per game.

Next up, Louisville returns home for a massive ranked showdown against Duke. Tip-off against the Blue Devils is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 7:00 p.m. EST.

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