Mikel Brown available to play Saturday for Louisville after 8-game absence

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Mikel Brown Jr., who has missed eight straight games for the Louisville basketball team, was not listed on the team’s injury report ahead of Saturday’s 2:15 p.m. meeting against Virginia Tech, making him available for play for the first time since Dec. 13.

Brown has been sidelined by back issues but returned to practice on Monday.

Whether he’s back in game condition and how much he’ll play Saturday isn’t known.

But his value in the rotation is.

Louisville went 4-4 in his absence, and missed his ability to harass opposing point guards with his length and to get into the paint essentially at will.

Brown was averaging 16.6 points per game at the time of his injury, and led the team in assists with 51. He only was passed in assists by Aly Khalifa in Louisville’s last game, a blowout win at Pittsburgh.