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Mikel Brown Jr. enters 2026 NBA Draft. What’s his stock after injury-riddled season?
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- Mikel Brown Jr. enters 2026 NBA Draft. What’s his stock after injury-riddled season?
Mikel Brown Jr. enters 2026 NBA Draft. What's his stock after injury-riddled season? appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr. is taking his talents to the NBA. The projected lottery pick told ESPN Andscape's Marc J. Spears that he is declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft following an injury-riddled season.
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"Obviously, it's just been a dream of mine to be able to be in this position," Brown said. "The little kid in me would freaking scream just to know that I have an opportunity to play at the highest level, which has been a dream of mine since I started picking up a basketball. So yeah, I'll be taking that next step."
Some analysts had Brown as high as No. 5 on their big board entering the season. However, the 6-foot-5 point guard was hampered by a strained back for most of the year. He missed the entire postseason and played in just 21 games.
Where will Mikel Brown Jr. go in 2026 NBA Draft after injury-riddled season?
Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images
Brown's late-season absence , which he said ate at him, will raise questions about his medicals entering the draft.
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"As a competitor, it just hurt and it ate me up inside that I just couldn't go out there and battle with the guys," Brown said. "So, I came back, played those next 11 games, did better. Sitting definitely taught me a lot, allowed me to see the game from a different lens and to be able to go back and apply it. It definitely helped me in that 11-game stretch.
"[My back] really was messed up, but I just kept trying to play through it. And then eventually it just led me to the decision that I wasn't going to play in both tournaments — the ACC tournament and the NCAA tournament — just because I'm not trained to go half speed at all. I always want to go full speed in everything I do, whether that's me working out or playing a game. I just wasn't able to do that at the time. So, I just felt like it was best for me to just sit out."
Despite injury concerns, Brown's flashes of offensive brilliance should be enticing to front offices picking inside the top-10. The freshman star averaged 18.2 points and 4.7 assists on 41.0 percent shooting. He thrived as a pick-and-roll ball-handler and showcased NBA shooting range, converting 34.4 percent of an eye-popping 14.7 three-point attempts per 100 possessions.
Brown scored 45 points on 14-of-23 shooting from the field and 10-of-16 from three during a Feb. 9 win over NC State. His size and shooting should allow him to play on or off the ball at the next level, increasing the number of teams that could take a chance on him in the lottery.
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ESPN, The Athletic and Bleacher Report each have Brown as the No. 8 pick in their latest mock drafts.
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