BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) 鈥� Louisville will open the without star because of a nagging back injury, the school announced Wednesday.
Besides Brown missing on Thursday, the Cardinals said the guard would not be available if the team advances to play on Saturday.
鈥淚 just don鈥檛 feel 100%,鈥� Brown said in the locker room. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 feel like I can play to our standard.鈥�
Brown missed the past four games 鈥� including two Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament outings, ending with in the quarterfinal round.
鈥淭he goal was to have Mikel available for the NCAA Tournament; unfortunately that is not the case,鈥� the school said.
鈥淲e’re just not there,鈥� Louisville coach Pat Kelsey said, crediting the team’s medical staff for doing everything in its power to get Brown ready to play.
Brown is considered a top-end NBA prospect should he decide to declare for the draft. The back problem is a recurrence of an issue that forced him to miss eight games earlier this season.
Louisville (23-10) is the East Region鈥檚 No. 6 seed, making its second tournament appearance in seven years.
鈥淭his is what you dream of as a kid to play in these type of environments,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淏ut my health does come first, as the staff told me, and my people told me.鈥�
The 6-foot-5 Brown ranks second on the team by averaging 18.2 points per game. He matched Wes Unseld鈥檚 school record by scoring 45 points in a 118-77 win over N.C. State in February.
鈥淚鈥檝e been working out doing a lot of physical stuff, bumping, guarding, sprints up and down the floor,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been working my tail off in the training room, working hours and hours a day. It鈥檚 just taking its slow, precious time.鈥�
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AP freelance writer Jonah Bronstein contributed to this report.
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