Louisville’s offseason has already been a strange one, with recruiting wins, portal movement, coaching changes and former Cardinals making their way to the NBA all hitting at once. The biggest jolt came when two Louisville players were drafted in the same year for the first time since 2015, with 5-star freshman Mikel Brown Jr. and 4-star transfer Ryan Conwell both hearing their names called.
Brown went first in that group. The former Cardinal was taken No. 6 overall by the Brooklyn Nets, and even though he spent only one season at Louisville, he left with real production after battling back injuries that cut into his year. He still finished as an All-ACC guard and became one of the first point guards selected in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Now comes the next layer of pressure. Brown is expected to step right into a starting role in Brooklyn, and a new Bleacher Report ranking only sharpens the spotlight on him. In the outlet’s ranking of all 30 NBA starting lineups heading into next season, the Nets landed at No. 29, second-to-last.
That kind of placement says plenty about where Brooklyn stands. The Nets are coming off a 20-62 season, finishing last in the Atlantic, third-to-last in the East and with the third-worst record in the NBA. It also fits a longer run of struggles: they had the sixth-worst record in the NBA in 2024-25, the fifth-worst record in the East in 2023-24, and haven’t reached the playoffs since the 2022-23 season.
For Brown, that means opportunity and responsibility arriving at the same time. Brooklyn is banking on him to grow into the kind of point guard who can help define its future, and he’ll be doing it with a projected starting group that also includes Egor Demin, Michael Porter Jr., Julius Randle and Day'Ron Sharp.
The numbers Brown put up at Louisville show why the Nets are willing to bet on him. He averaged 18.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game, and he arrived as the No. 6 overall prospect and the No. 1 point guard in the 2025 recruiting class.
He also flashed in Summer League. In the games he played, Brown averaged 15 points, 4.0 assists and 1.2 steals in 21.7 minutes per game, a solid first look at what Brooklyn hopes becomes much more than a promising start.
In Other News...
Louisville Just Got A Fresh Game Day Look For 2026
Adidas is giving college football fans a new look to talk about, and Louisville is part of the rollout. The company has unveiled a fresh Adizero line built around school-specific colorways, with the Cardinals version leaning into Cardinal Red and Black and carrying Louisville branding on the insole and tongue.
It is the kind of small but noticeable detail that tends to get attention well before kickoff, especially with the 2026 schedule already taking shape. Louisville opens the season Sunday, Sept. 6, at the Music City Kickoff against Ole Miss, then comes home a few days later for its first game at Cardinal Stadium against Villanova on Sept. 11. [Read more 🡒]
Louisville Still Has One Frontcourt Move Fans Should Watch
Louisville has already spent the offseason reshaping its frontcourt, bringing in transfer Flory Bidunga and adding recruits Alvaro Folgueiras, Gabe Dynes and Obinna Ekezie Jr. The group gives the Cardinals a much different look inside, and it also suggests the staff is still willing to keep shopping if the right fit surfaces.
One name to watch is Michigan State transfer Jaxon Kohler, whose rebounding and shooting profile would fit the kind of depth Louisville could still use. There has been no official report of the Cardinals reaching out, so this is still more possibility than movement, but it is the sort of frontcourt addition that would make sense if Louisville decides it is not done building in the paint. [Read more 🡒]
Brody Foley Is Giving Louisville Fans Real ACC Hope
With Week 1 against Ole Miss set for Sept. 6, Louisville has spent the run-up to the season trying to answer the kinds of questions that separate a good fall from a memorable one. One of the biggest reasons for optimism has been the addition of Tulsa transfer Brody Foley, a highly regarded tight end who arrives with a reputation as one of the better portal pickups on the roster and a chance to matter right away in the offense.
Foleys value goes beyond depth, too. After earning First-Team All-AAC honors last season, he brings production and credibility to a Louisville attack that wants to do more than stay competitive in the ACC. If the Cardinals are going to push toward the kind of season that keeps them in the College Football Playoff conversation, a player like Foley figures to be part of the conversation early and often. [Read more 🡒]