• Mikel Brown Jr., the 29th McDonald's All-American in Louisville basketball's storied history, will make his collegiate debut in Friday's exhibition against Kansas. • Brown enters his freshman season as a projected lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. • "I know the expectations that I set for myself coming into the season, and that's a national championship," Brown said. "All the accolades will come."

To Mikel Brown Jr. , it feels like just yesterday: the KFC Yum! Center bathed in red lights as he took his first steps onto Denny Crum Court as a Louisville basketball signee. An ovation so loud he could hardly hear himself think.

A message on the jumbotron: "The next generation is here."

"It was definitely a moment that I will never forget," Brown said.

Nine months later, Brown will

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