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Louisville HC Pat Kelsey gives encouraging Mikel Brown Jr. update despite ACC tourney absence
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- Louisville HC Pat Kelsey gives encouraging Mikel Brown Jr. update despite ACC tourney absence
Louisville HC Pat Kelsey gives encouraging Mikel Brown Jr. update despite ACC tourney absence appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
With the NCAA Tournament just around the corner, Louisville continues to play without star point guard Mikel Brown Jr. Head coach Pat Kelsey teased that the freshman is inching closer to a return, even if he does not see the court during the ACC Tournament.
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Following the Cardinals' second-round win over SMU , Kelsey confirmed he is preserving Brown for the NCAA Tournament. Kelsey said his guard is "really close," but confirmed he will not return until the Big Dance.
"We just need him to be 100 percent healthy," Kelsey said, via The Field of 68. "He's not going to play in the ACC Tournament. He's close; he's really close. We're just gonna get through this week. He's chomping at the bit to get out there."
Brown has not played since Louisville 's 80-75 loss to Clemson on Feb. 28. He had been dealing with back pains for the previous week before Kelsey decided to shut him down until the NCAA Tournament.
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Brown's injury sidelined him at the hottest point of his freshman season. The former five-star recruit had been averaging 29.2 points in the five games before his back slowed him considerably against Clemson. His hot streak included a nonsensical 45-point outburst against NC State , which saw him shoot 10-for-16 from deep.
With Brown, Louisville is one of the most explosive teams in college basketball, averaging 85.9 points per game. While they have been winning without him, the Cardinals struggled to score without him in their first ACC Tournament win.
In a surprising defensive battle, Louisville used a late surge to edge SMU and add another win to its March Madness resume. Ryan Conwell led the way with 16 points, including the Cardinals' final five points to seal the game.
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