Mikel Brown Jr.’s first game in over a month wound up being one of the most impressive overall performances he’s turned in while wearing a Cardinal uniform.
The freshman point guard showed zero signs of rust, pouring in a team-high 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting while also handing out six assists in Louisville’s 85-71 victory over Virginia Tech Saturday afternoon inside the KFC Yum Center.
Turns out having a top 10 NBA Draft pick running your offense can make a difference.
The Cards shot 47 percent from the field and led by double figures for nearly the entirety of the game despite their guests hitting 12-of-16 shots from three in the second half and 16-of-30 for the game. Jailen Bedford hit six of those triples and scored a game-high 24 points.
Sananda Fru turned in one of his strongest performances of the season, notching a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Ryan Conwell (15) and J’Vonne Hadley (14) also scored in double figures for the Cards.
Virginia Tech isn’t a world-beater, but they are a potential tournament team that was three buzzer-beating losses away from entering today with an 18-2 overall record and a perfect mark in league play. Handling them from basically start to finish and winning by 14 is a great statement at a great time for this group.
If the weather permits, they’ll have an opportunity to make a much grander statement in about 48 hours.
