ACC Releases Final Injury Report for Louisville vs. Duke

The Cardinals tip off against the Blue Devils at 7:00 p.m. EST.

Louisville Cardinals guard Mikel Brown (0) handles the ball as Cincinnati Bearcats guard Day Day Thomas (1) guards him in the first half of the NCAA Basketball game at Heritage Bank Center in Cincinnati on Nov. 21, 2025. | Albert Cesare/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville men's basketball program has their biggest test of the season coming up in just a couple hours.

After returning home from the West Coast to face Cal and Stanford, the Cardinals will now face the top team in the ACC, with No. 6 Duke coming to the KFC Yum! Center. Tip-off against the Blue Devils is set for 7:00 p.m. EST.

Two hours before tip-off, we learned just who will actually be able to suit up for both Louisville and Duke, with the ACC releasing their updated availability report.

On the Cardinals' side of things, just like on the first report, Mikel Brown Jr. is listed as "out" and will miss his fifth straight game. Head coach Pat Kelsey revealed yesterday that the star true freshman point guard would not suit up due to his lower back injury.

"He's chomping at the bit," he said. "I mean, he wants to be out there so stinking bad, you can tell. It's just been kind of a couple disappointing setbacks as we tried to ramp him back up and practice full go to see if he could sustain throughout the game. Then what we did several days ago is just completely shutting down from practice, and give him a little bit more time, trying some different treatment things."

Additionally, like on the first report Kasean Pryor was not listed on the updated report - though it remains to be seen if he will actually see the floor against Duke. The sixth year forward did not play in either of the Cardinals' West Coast games last week due to lingering issues in his knee.

"He just hasn't practiced much at all," Kelsey said of Pryor in the postgame press conference following their loss to Stanford. "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."

For the Blue Devils, they will only be with Ifeanyi Ufochukwu. The graduate transfer center has only totaled four points and three rebounds in five total appearances off the bench this season.

Below is the full report for both sides:

ACC's Game Day Availability Report for Louisville vs. Duke

Louisville Cardinals

OUT

• #0 Mikel Brown

GAME TIME DECISION

• N/A

Duke Blue Devils

OUT

• #15 Ifeanyi Ufochukwu

GAME TIME DECISION

• N/A

(Photo of Mikel Brown Jr.: Albert Cesare - The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

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