Mikel Brown Jr. pulled off a historic performance that involved Cooper Flagg after a dominant night in the No. 24 Louisville Cardinals' matchup against the NC State Wolfpack on Monday night.
Brown is halfway through the first season of his collegiate career. He has showcased promising potential with his scoring and playmaking skillset, making immediate contributions in the Louisville attack.
In 34 minutes of action, Brown torched the nets throughout the contest against NC State. He finished with a stat line of 45 points, nine rebounds, three steals, and two assists. He shot 14-of-23 from the field, including 10-of-16 from beyond the arc, and 7-of-7 from the free-throw line.
His efforts made history in multiple ways, per Louisville's account and reporter Kelly Dickey. Brown became the record holder for scoring the most points in a single game as a freshman in the ACC. He surpassed Flagg to take control of the top spot and tied basketball legend Wes Unseld in the process.
“Mikel Brown Jr. ties Wes Unseld for the highest point total in program history at 45 points,” Dickey wrote.
How Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville played against NC State
Mikel Brown Jr. enjoyed the best performance of his young collegiate career to date, leading Louisville to a dominant 118-77 win over the Wolfpack.
Two players scored in double-digits for Louisville in the win, including Brown. Ryan Conwell delivered a strong performance with 31 points, seven rebounds, six assists, one steal, and a block. He shot 10-of-14 overall, including 5-of-6 from downtown, and 6-of-7 from the charity stripe. J'Vonne Hadley came next with nine points and three rebounds, while Isaac McKneely provided eight points and two rebounds.
Louisville improved to an 18-6 overall record on the season, going 8-4 in its ACC matchups so far. They sit in seventh place in the conference standings, being above the SMU Mustangs and the California Golden Bears while trailing the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Miami Hurricanes.
Rolling with four consecutive wins, the No. 24 Cardinals will look forward to their next matchup. They are on the road when they face the Baylor Bears on Feb. 14 at 4 p.m. ET.
