Where Louisville's Mikel Brown Jr., Ryan Conwell go in NBA mock drafts

The 2026 NBA Draft is less than two weeks away, and it’s shaping up to be historic for Louisville basketball.

The Cardinals haven’t produced a top-10 pick since Samaki Walker went ninth overall to the Dallas Mavericks in 1996. The last time they had two players selected in the same draft? Terry Rozier (16th) and Montrezl Harrell (32nd) in 2015.

The latest round of projections say Mikel Brown Jr. and Ryan Conwell will change that during the two-day event, which is set for June 23-24 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Since representing UofL at the NBA Draft Combine last month in Chicago, Brown and Conwell have been logging workouts for teams around the league. After one of those workouts, with the Sacramento Kings, Conwell called his lone season playing for coach Pat Kelsey “one of the best years of my life.”

“Being able to play alongside not only (Brown) but also the other great players, being able to play for a great staff, being able to play for the fans in Louisville — it’s a year I’ll never forget,” he added, according to a video shared to X, formerly Twitter, by Sean Cunningham of NBC Sacramento. “It went by fast.”

With the next chapter of Brown and Conwell’s careers on the horizon, here’s a look at where they stand in mock drafts as of mid-June:

The first question Brown fielded during a session with reporters at the NBA Draft Combine had to do with the back injury that sidelined him from 14 games of Louisville’s 2025-26 season, including the final six.

“I feel amazing,” the Cards’ first one-and-done player said. “Those two months, taking off, definitely helped me prioritize my rehab. I really didn’t touch a ball like that; I was just focused on getting back to where I was before the season started.”

Despite the absences, Brown became the first UofL freshman in five years to earn a spot on the ACC’s All-Rookie team. The 6-foot-5 Orlando, Florida, native averaged 18.2 points on 41% shooting (34.4% from 3-point range) in addition to a team-high 4.7 assists (against 3.1 turnovers), 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals across 29 minutes per appearance. He also tied Wes Unseld and Reyne Smith’s single-game records for points (45) and made 3s (10), respectively, during a Feb. 9 win over N.C. State at the KFC Yum! Center.

“I think teams — they got a good sample size of, when I am playing, what I can become,” Brown told reporters at the combine. “Definitely, the medical stuff is going to come up. But I feel great right now.”

Here’s where Brown stands in the latest NBA draft projections as of June 11:

CBS Sports (June 9): seventh overall, Sacramento Kings

ESPN (May 19): ninth overall, Dallas Mavericks

NBA Draft Room (June 9): sixth overall, Brooklyn Nets

Brown has All-Star potential, but it may take a few years for him to develop into a go-to playmaker like Brandon Roy or Keyonte George, who both made leaps after a couple years. Brown’s 3-point prowess and ability to get downhill share similarities to Desmond Bane and CJ McCollum, and while Brown’s career would likely be considered a success if he winds up being a productive NBA starter, he’s a more advanced all-around prospect than either Bane or McCollum coming out of college. Brown’s offense will get him on the court early, but his efficiency as a scorer and facilitator will determine his upside.

Conwell told reporters after his Kings workout that he’s taking the draft process “one day at a time.”

“You get so excited, so anxious, for the draft and what’s going to happen that, sometimes, you can miss the blessings — all the teams you work out for and the journey in itself,” he added. “I just try to take every workout and put my best foot forward, and give it everything I’ve got.”

Conwell was Louisville’s top scorer in 2025-26. The 6-4 Indianapolis native averaged 18.8 points on 40.8% shooting (34.5% from 3), 4.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals across 30.9 minutes per contest en route to a spot on the All-ACC second team. He tallied 20-plus points on 15 occasions and broke 30 twice.

A career 37.6% marksman from beyond the arc who averaged 3.29 triples per game with the Cards, Conwell lit up the NBA Draft Combine. His 28-for-30 clip in the off-dribble shooting drill was best at the event. Factor in his numbers from the spot-up drill and the 3-point star, and he went 61 for 80 (76.3%). That’ll play somewhere at the sport’s highest level.

Here’s where Conwell stands in the latest NBA draft projections as of June 11:

ESPN (May 19): 44th overall, San Antonio Spurs (via Miami Heat)

NBA Draft Room (June 9): 34th overall, Sacramento Kings

Conwell projects as a plug-and-play floor spacer with the size and feel to fit cleanly into any modern NBA offense. His shot diet is already optimized for the league, his frame holds up in physical matchups and his off-ball activity gives coaches a willing piece to weave into screen and handoff actions. In terms of NBA comparisons, Conwell shares similarities to Donte DiVincenzo, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Cam Spencer. Conwell could step in as an immediate rotation contributor and grow into more from there.

Reach Louisville men’s basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: NBA Draft 2026 mock projections for Mikel Brown Jr., Ryan Conwell