Mikel Brown Jr. on becoming Louisville's next star guard, learning from Steph Curry's off-ball prowess and more [Exclusive]

There’s a long, storied history of elite guards leading great Louisville basketball teams. From Peyton Siva and Russ Smith to Terry Rozier and Donovan Mitchell, Cardinals fans have become accustomed to dynamic backcourt play. Mikel Brown Jr. is poised to take that throne next season.

When the five-star recruit saw how Louisville head coach Pat Kelsey empowered his guards, he knew that would be his college basketball home. He watched Chucky Hepburn and Terrence Edwards thrive in 2024-25 and knew Louisville could do the same for him.

“They instilled confidence in them from day one,” Brown said about Louisville’s guards. “That definitely encouraged me to be like ‘Hey, this might be the spot.’”

Brown will enter a crowded backcourt, featuring a trio of coveted guards who transferred in — Adrian Wooley from Kennesaw State, Ryan Conwell from Xavier and Isaac McKneely from Virginia.

To make his mark and star next season, Brown will rely on his consummate point guard skills and, in his own words, “be a playmaker.” Brown believes he’s best as a lead guard, but he knows the value of adapting and setting up teammates.

“Looking to score leads to opportunities of a possible help man stepping up [and] I can get my big a dunk,” Brown said. “I try to be instinctive about it and just make the right read and make the simple read.”

During his senior season, Brown sharpened his processor, especially against pressure. Opposing defenses sold out to stop him, often sending two bodies at Brown, forcing him to adjust and adapt. Brown pored over film, especially from the games where teams double-teamed him relentlessly.

“The elite of the elite always make an adjustment, whether you’re getting double-teamed or they’re in help side everywhere you go,” Brown said. “It’s me making an adjustment and a conscious effort of ‘What can I do if they double team me, what is the next play?’”

Brown’s scoring talent is evident to anyone who watches, letting him average 29.6 points per game during his final high school season at DME Academy. His 52-point explosion against Dream City Christian exemplified his natural scoring gene, as Brown didn’t realize how many he’d scored until the game ended.

“I was zoned out that game,” Brown said. “I wasn’t even thinking about how many points I had, I just wanted to win so bad that game.”

And Brown did win that game and plenty more as a senior. He helped DME win its first state championship and made the final four of the Grind Session World Championship.

“Overall, I achieved a lot this season,” Brown said. “I could have achieved more, but I think it’s a great start leading into my first year and possibly my only year at Louisville.”

Playing college or professional basketball will require Brown to excel both on and off of the ball, adding value without always scoring on high volume, even for a projected one-and-done talent like Brown. He’ll almost always share the court with other talented players, but Brown trains his off-ball game and has plenty of experience playing with other stars at DME and his previous AAU stops.

“I’ve been blessed to play with a lot of great teams, so I didn’t really have to do that much, but I think that’s a perk,” Brown said. “You watch Steph Curry and he can be on the ball, but he’s a lot off of the ball because people are denying him from getting the ball and he’s constantly moving around. I think that only increases your value in terms of being able to play off of the ball and on the ball…as a guard.”

Brown led the McDonald’s All-American Game with five assists, dishing out plenty more that his teammates couldn’t convert. His high-level passing skills were on full display, as Brown split the defense to hunt layups and threes for his teammates.

Elite floor generals need more than passing acumen to dice up defenses, though. Brown spent his senior season focusing on touching the paint as often as possible to crumble defenses and generate efficient offense.

“We have to get as many paint touches as possible,” Brown said. “If you get paint touches, the defense collapses and you can get your teammates open shots.”

Threatening defenses as a 3-point shooter will help ease Brown into these driving lanes and smooth his transition to the college game. According to Synergy, Brown made 38.3% of his 8.4 triples per game during his final AAU season playing for Team Loaded NC on the Adidas Circuit.

More than any on-court challenges, Brown knows he’ll need to step up as a leader. Playing on great teams led Brown to let others lead vocally, but he focused on becoming comfortable pushing his teammates this past season.

“I’ve always been that silent killer on the court,” Brown said. “I really don’t talk a lot, but I’m used to being out of my comfort zone.”

Brown’s father, Christopher Brown, always made the value of leadership clear, especially as a hopeful future NBA point guard.

“My dad makes a great point that if you want to make the NBA at the age of 19 or 20 years old at the point guard position, you’ve got to be able to lead a team of grown men,” Brown said. “Coming in, you gotta lead the small pack first before you can lead the big pack. It was natural for me to lead this team [DME].”

Brown looks forward to improving all aspects of his game, but he knows how important defensive improvement will be. He plans to spend hours in the gym this summer, lifting weights to help him match the physicality of the college game and guard multiple positions. As his dad tells him, his body will catch up with the right amount of work.

“The physicality and the mentality, it all adds up to be one,” Brown said.” I feel like I have that mentality now to guard bigger players, taking pride on the defensive end to guard multiple positions, fighting on switches and fighting down low.”

That improvement will be key for Brown to reach the lofty goals he’s set for himself. Winning will always be his priority, but Brown hopes to be the ACC’s freshman of the year and compete for the Cousy and Naismith awards.

“I really don’t look into the awards,” Brown said. “I think the awards will come with how I play and people will recognize what I’ve done…I just want to win.”

No part of Brown’s path to college and the NBA will be easy. He has storied shoes to fill at Louisville and will hope to reach the NCAA Tournament as the Cardinals did this past year. Fortunately, that discomfort won’t be new or surprising for Brown.

“I’m used to being out of my comfort zone,” Brown said. “When you’re uncomfortable, that’s when you get better.