Pat Kelsey's incoming guard Mikel Brown Jr. shares his take on learning to play "off the ball and on the ball" from Steph Curry (EXCLUSIVE)

By Inioluwa

Modified Apr 24, 2025 10:32 GMT

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Five-star Louisville signee Mikel Brown Jr. has officially wrapped up his high school basketball journey after finishing his senior year at DME Academy. He is now set to join head coach Pat Kelsey and the Louisville Cardinals in the ACC Conference next season.

Transitioning to college basketball and eventually professional basketball is, however, not an easy task and Brown understands that. Thriving at these levels, especially as a top talent, won't just be about scoring; he'll need to bring value both on and off the ball.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda's Ben Pfeifer, published on Wednesday, Mikel Brown Jr. shares his take on learning to play off the ball and on the ball. According to him, it's a skill that has helped great talents like Steph Curry increase their value on the court.

"I've been blessed to play with a lot of great teams, so I didn't really have to do that much, but I think that's a perk," Brown said. "You watch Steph Curry and he can be on the ball, but he's a lot off the ball because people are denying him from getting the ball and he's constantly moving around. I think that only increases your value in terms of being able to play off the ball and on the ball…as a guard."

Another significant aspect of Mikel Brown Jr.'s game that he aims to develop is leadership. According to him, he's more of a silent killer on the court and doesn't really talk a lot:

"I've always been that silent killer on the court," Brown said. "I really don't talk a lot, but I'm used to being out of my comfort zone."

Mikel Brown Jr., however, understands that thriving, especially as a point guard among elites in the NBA, will require some leadership skills.

"My dad makes a great point that if you want to make the NBA at the age of 19 or 20 years old at the point guard position, you've got to be able to lead a team of grown men," Brown said. "Coming in, you gotta lead the small pack first before you can lead the big pack. It was natural for me to lead this team [DME]."

In short, Mikel Brown Jr. already understands that the transition to college basketball and, eventually, professional basketball will not be easy. However, he's ready to embrace the discomfort:

"I'm used to being out of my comfort zone," Brown said. "When you're uncomfortable, that's when you get better."

Mikel Brown Jr. averaged 29.6 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game in his final year of high school basketball, leading DME Academy to its first state championship. Hopefully, he'll be able to replicate this level of performance and success at the college level.

"I think I could work on my off-the-ball stuff": Five-star Louisville commit Mikel Brown Jr. spoke about developing his game

Five-star prospect Mikel Brown Jr. featured in the Nike Hoops Summit, which took place on Apr. 12. At the event, Brown also gave an interview, speaking about his defensive approach, leadership and attitude off the ball, among other things. According to him, his play off the ball still needs refining:

"I think I could work on my off-the-ball stuff a lot because on-ball, I think I'm pretty good," Brown said. "Off-the-ball I think I get carried away sometimes, getting caught looking at the ball too much, so just trying to stay consistent off-ball and on-ball and being the loud voice on the defensive end."

Mikel Brown Jr. is currently the only Class of 2025 recruit committed to the Cardinals. However, he will be joining a trio of talented guards, including Adrian Wooley, Ryan Conwell and Isaac McKneely, who are joining the Cardinals via transfer. Brown understands that he'll need to contribute beyond just scoring to adapt well to his new team and to college basketball as a whole.