A star exploded on on the night of Feb. 9 at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. The celestial event witnessed by 14,389 fans, marveling over Mikel Brown, Jr’s dreamlike performance, the University of Louisville freshman erupting for 45 points.
One of those games in which a player can seemingly do no wrong, scoring almost at will. Showing what the fuss was all about when UofL finally signed a five-star freshman a year ago. He had shown signs of high potential here and there before he was sidelined with a back injury several games ago. But nothing like this.
Making good on 14 of 23 field goal attempts, including 10 three-pointers, and seven of seven from the free throw line, Brown tied an all-time scoring record for the men’s basketball program with 45 points. That tied the mark set by Wes Unseld 59 years ago against Georgetown College. The 45 points was the most ever for a freshman in an Atlantic Coast Conference game, eclipsing the mark of 42 by Duke’s Cooper Flagg a year ago.
North Carolina State, which entered the game on a five-game winning streak, lost to Louisville 118-77 in a blowout of historic proportions. The highest total for a UofL team since a 119-61 win over Morehead State in 1995.
The Tar Heels simply had no answers for Brown who made it look easy all night long. Going where he wanted to go, shooting when he wanted to shoot. Brown making it look ridiculously easy. The freshman’s performance almost overshadowing Ryan Conwell who was having a super night himself. Conwell, a senior, scored 31 points on 10-of-14 shooting including a five-of-six showing from 3-point range to give the Cardinals a pair of 30-point scorers for the first time in program history. Conwell also grabbed seven rebounds.
Hopefully more than one-game breakthrough for Mikel Brown. If he has found his confidence and his game, the future could be bright again for University of Louisville basketball.
