Five-Star Freshman Prospects Clash in Friday Night NCAA Matchup

The NCAA basketball season continued with multiple high-profile matchups on Friday night.

A number of 2026 NBA Draft prospects were in action, as Kentucky, Arkansas, Florida, Duke and others all took the court for non-conference matchups. In addition to the aforementioned schools, BYU met Wisonsin while Texas Tech took on Purdue in two showdowns between ranked teams.

Those weren't the only intriguing matchups of the evening though, as Louisville met Cincinnati at the Heritage Bank Center in Ohio. That contest featured a pair of five-star prospects from the 2025 recruiting class who have a chance to be first-round picks in the 2026 NBA Draft class.

Veteran Ryan Conwell led the way for Louisville, notching 25 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists in the win. Standout freshman Mikel Brown Jr. was was one of only two other players to score in double figures for the Cardinals, who came away with a 74-64 victory against the Bearcats.

The highly touted guard finished with 22 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 3 steals to help No. 6-ranked Louisville improve to 5-0. Brown shot 4-of-15 from the field, 2-of-9 from beyond the arc and 12-of-14 from the free throw line.

Brown entered the 2025-26 campaign as a potential top 5 pick and has kept his name in the conversation to be selected at the top of the 2026 NBA Draft. Rated the No. 6 overall prospect and No. 2 point guard in the 2025 recruiting class by 247Sports, Brown is listed at 6-foot-5 and 190 pounds.

Following a strong showing in FIBA competition over the summer, Brown was averaging 19.3 points, 6.8 assists and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 50% from the field and 36% from 3-point range on more than 6 attempts per game heading into Friday night's contest.

Five games into his college career, Brown is living up to expectations and should be a solid option for any team who needs a guard at the top of the upcoming draft.

Brown wasn't the only five-star recruit from the 2025 class in the contest though, as Shon Abaev also played a significant role for Cincinnati. Abaev tied with Day Day Thomas as the Bearcats' leading scorers in the loss, notching 12 points apiece.

Abaev added 3 rebounds, an assist and a steal while shooting 4-of-16 from the field and 3-of-11 from deep. Entering Cincinnati's contest against Lousiville, the coveted wing prospect was averaging 11.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and an assist per game while shooting 44.1% from the field and 20% from 3-point range.

Listed at 6-foot-8 and 210 pounds, Abaev was rated the No. 22 overall prospect and No. 5 small forward in the cycle, according to 247Sports.

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