NCAA Releases Game Day Injury Report for Louisville vs. USF

The Cardinals tip off against the Bulls at 1:30 p.m. EST.

Mar 7, 2026; Duluth, GA, USA; Louisville Cardinals mascot Louie on the court against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the second quarter at Gas South Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The most magical time of the year is finally here. The NCAA Tournament starts today, and it's now officially do-or-die time for the Louisville men's basketball program.

This afternoon, the Cardinals will get their run in the Big Dance started against South Florida, hoping to capture their first NCAA Tournament win in nearly a decade. Tip-off against the Bulls is set for 1:30 p.m. EST.

At noon, we learned just who will actually be able to suit up for both Louisville and USF, with the NCAA releasing their game day availability report.

Like on the first report, star point guard Mikel Brown Jr. was designated as "out" on the second report. He has missed the last four games due to a lingering lower back injury, and UofL announced yesterday that he would miss their NCAA Tournament opener.

Last week, UofL announced that Brown would be sidelined for their ACC Tournament run with "the goal of being ready for the NCAA Tournament." However, they announced yesterday that "unfortunately that is not the case."

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, and Louisville's two ACC Tournament games.

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 Bulls, they have a pair of injuries, but they aren't nearly as impactful. Senior guard Xavier Brown (2.7 PPG, 1.7 APG) is designated as "out," but he has only played three games, and has not played since mid-November. Senior forward De'Ante Green is "out" as well, as he has yet to suit up this season due to a torn Achilles.

Below is the full report for both sides:

NCAA's Game Day Availability Report for Louisville vs. USF

Louisville Cardinals

OUT

• #0 Mikel Brown

QUESTIONABLE

• N/A

South Florida Bulls

OUT

• N/A

QUESTIONABLE

• #0 Xavier Brown
• #1 De'Ante Green

(Photo of Louie: Brett Davis - Imagn Images)

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