UofL’s Mikel Brown drafted sixth overall by Brooklyn Nets
Updated: 8:52 PM EDT Jun 23, 2026
University of Louisville guard Mikel Brown was the No. 6 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft Tuesday night, going to the Brooklyn Nets.Brown is the first Cardinal to be drafted in the Top 10 since Samaki Walker in 1996, who went 9th overall.In his one season with the Cards, Brown started 19 games and played in 21, averaging 18.2 points per game. He missed 14 games with a back injury that also kept him sidelined during the ACC and NCAA tournaments.Brown tied UofL’s school record of most points in a single game when he scored 45 against NC State on Feb. 9. On that same night, Brown also tied the school record for made three-pointers with 10.These are the former UofL players who have been Top 10 picks in the NBA Draft:1948 No. 3 George Hauptfuhrer Boston Celtics1952 No. 7 Bob Lochmueller Syracuse Nationals1957 No. 2 Charlie Tyra Detroit Pistons1959 No. 8 Don Goldstein Detroit Pistons1968 No. 2 Wes Unseld Baltimore Bullets1969 No. 10 Butch Beard Atlanta Hawks1975 No. 8 Junior Bridgeman Los Angeles Lakers1980 No. 2 Darrell Griffith Utah Jazz1983 No. 3 Rodney McCray Houston Rockets1984 No. 8 Lancaster Gordon Los Angeles Clippers1989 No. 1 Pervis Ellison Sacramento Kings1990 No. 6 Felton Spencer Minnesota Timberwolves1996 No. 9 Samaki Walker Dallas Mavericks
KINGS COUNTY, N.Y. —
University of Louisville guard Mikel Brown was the No. 6 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft Tuesday night, going to the Brooklyn Nets.
Brown is the first Cardinal to be drafted in the Top 10 since Samaki Walker in 1996, who went 9th overall.
In his one season with the Cards, Brown started 19 games and played in 21, averaging 18.2 points per game. He missed 14 games with a back injury that also kept him sidelined during the ACC and NCAA tournaments.
Brown tied UofL’s school record of most points in a single game when he scored 45 against NC State on Feb. 9. On that same night, Brown also tied the school record for made three-pointers with 10.
These are the former UofL players who have been Top 10 picks in the NBA Draft:
1948 No. 3 George Hauptfuhrer Boston Celtics1952 No. 7 Bob Lochmueller Syracuse Nationals1957 No. 2 Charlie Tyra Detroit Pistons1959 No. 8 Don Goldstein Detroit Pistons1968 No. 2 Wes Unseld Baltimore Bullets1969 No. 10 Butch Beard Atlanta Hawks1975 No. 8 Junior Bridgeman Los Angeles Lakers1980 No. 2 Darrell Griffith Utah Jazz1983 No. 3 Rodney McCray Houston Rockets1984 No. 8 Lancaster Gordon Los Angeles Clippers1989 No. 1 Pervis Ellison Sacramento Kings1990 No. 6 Felton Spencer Minnesota Timberwolves1996 No. 9 Samaki Walker Dallas Mavericks