Freshman phenom Mikel Brown is back in the lottery pick conversation after a historic night in the KFC Yum! Center against ACC foe NC State. The Cards won the game 118-77, scoring their most points in a game since 1995.
Brown filled up the box score while tying two school records and breaking others, ending with 45 points (14-23) and 10 threes (10-16). The 5-star guard tied Wes Unseld’s scoring record in a game, tied Reyne Smith’s three-pointers in a game, and broke the freshman scoring record for the Cards. To top off the night, he also broke an ACC freshman record previously set by No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg.
The uniforms that the Cards wore last night are also known as the “Wes Unselds.” I don’t think this was a coincidence that the struggling freshman took his game to the next level while donning the white and red and tying the 1969 NBA MVP’s scoring record.
The other member of the Cards backcourt also had himself a high-scoring and very efficient night. Senior guard Ryan Conwell finished with 31 points, seven rebounds, and six assists while shooting 10-14 from the field. This was the first time in Cardinals history that they had multiple 30-point scorers in a game.
The Cards cashed in 18 deep balls and finished 60% from behind the arc and from the field as well.
When Pat Kelsey’s Cards are good, they are REALLY good. The 24th-ranked Cards move to 18-6 on the year, 8-4 in conference play. They progress to 5-6 in Quad 1 and look to build some momentum after an electric Monday night.
Louisville will travel to Fort Worth, Texas, and take on non-conference opponent Baylor on Valentine’s Day. This neutral-site game continues the quest toward March Madness and Coach Kelsey’s first win at the Big Dance.
