No. 11 Louisville Cardinals was shorthanded Tuesday night in Knoxville, and the absence of its starting point guard loomed large. The Cardinals fell 83-62 at No. 20 Tennessee Vols after freshman standout Mikel Brown Jr. was ruled out with a lower back injury sustained during Saturday’s win over Memphis Tigers.

Brown’s status remained uncertain right up until tipoff, according to head coach Pat Kelsey, who explained postgame that the staff had been cautiously optimistic throughout the days leading up to the matchup.

“We were hopeful the last couple of days that he'd be able to play and just to see how he responded to treatment,” Kelsey said after the game, via Kent Spencer of WHAS. “He was in pain the last couple of days, limited him the last couple of days in practice and tried to get him going pregame to see how he felt by the time the game started and he just wasn't able to go.”

Kelsey emphasized that the decision was not made lightly and credited Louisville’s medical staff for exploring every option before ruling Brown out.

“We had an idea, I don't want to say that I knew he wasn't going to play, cause Katie [ Creznic] is awesome at what she does and he was getting treatment, so were obviously working on contingency plans in case he didn't,” said coach Kelsey.

While Kelsey detailed the lead-up to Brown’s absence, he stopped short of offering any clarity on when the freshman might return. When asked directly about a timeline, the Louisville coach deferred to the medical staff and framed the situation as part of a broader reality teams face.

“I don't know. You'd have to ask the medical people in that,” Kelsey said. “In terms of adjusting when somebody goes down, that's just the deal, and every team in the country, in every single sport, has people go down in injuries.”

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Brown’s absence was felt early and often. Louisville struggled to generate consistent offense, producing several stagnant possessions while trying to dig out of a double-digit deficit in the second half.

Brown, the team’s second-leading scorer and primary playmaker at 16.6 points per game and 5.1 assists per contest, has been central to Louisville’s offensive rhythm all season.

Adrian Wooley stepped into the starting role and delivered a strong show with 19 points including four rebounds, but the Cardinals were unable to overcome Tennessee’s pressure and depth.

Louisville (9-2) now turns its attention to returning home Saturday to host the Montana Grizzlies (6-5) at noon. With conference play approaching, Brown’s status will be closely monitored as the Cardinals hope their floor general can return sooner.