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BUFFALO, N. Y. — Louisville will open the NCAA Tournament without star freshman Mikel Brown Jr.
Louisville star guard Mikel Brown Jr. missed the past four games, including two Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament outings, because of a nagging back injury. ©Nell Redmond BUFFALO, N.
Y. — Louisville will open the NCAA Tournament without star freshman Mikel Brown Jr. because of a nagging back injury, the school announced Wednesday.
Besides Brown missing Louisville’s first-round game against USF on Thursday, the Cardinals said the guard would not be available if the team advances to play on Saturday. “I just don’t feel 100%,” Brown said in the locker room. “I don’t feel like I can play to our standard.
” Brown missed the past four games — including two Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament outings, ending with Louisville’s 78-73 loss to Miami in the quarterfinal round. “The goal was to have Mikel available for the NCAA Tournament; unfortunately that is not the case,” the school said. “We’re just not there,” Louisville coach Pat Kelsey said, crediting the team’s medical staff for doing everything in its power to get Brown ready to play.