Photo by: Taris Smith | Louisville Athletics
Mikel Brown Jr. Named to Wooden Award Midseason Watch List
January 07, 2026 | Men's Basketball
The freshman guard is added to the 25-player list for the established award
LOS ANGELES, Calif. – University of Louisville men's basketball freshman guard Mikel Brown Jr. has been named to the Los Angeles Athletic Club's John R. Wooden Award Midseason Top 25 Watch List, the club announced Wednesday evening.
Selected by a midseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list comprises of 25 student-athletes who are frontrunners for the most prestigious honors in college basketball: the Wooden Award All-American Team and the Wooden Award Most Outstanding Player.
Brown, who missed the last five games due to a lower back injury, is averaging 16.6 points per game through 10 contests this season for the Cardinals. He has distributed 51 total assists against just 24 turnovers in all.
The freshman guard is shooting 38.3% from the floor, having netted 45 shots. He is one of three players from the ACC on the list.
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2026 John R. Wooden Award® Men's Player of the Year. Players not selected for the list remain eligible for inclusion on the Wooden Award® midseason, late-season list, and the National Ballot. The National Ballot will feature 15 top players who have demonstrated to their universities that they meet or exceed the Wooden Award® qualifications.
In addition to the Wooden Midseason List, Brown was also named the USA Basketball 2025 Male Athlete of the Year on Tuesday.
2025-26 John R. Wooden Award Men's Midseason Top 25 Watch List
Darius Acuff Jr. – Arkansas
Nate Ament – Tennessee
Cameron Boozer – Duke
Jaden Bradley – Arizona
Mikel Brown Jr. – Louisville
Tucker DeVries – Indiana
AJ Dybansta – BYU
Kingston Fleming – Houston
PJ Haggerty – Kansas State
Thomas Haugh – Florida
Graham Ike – Gonzaga
Josh Jefferson – Iowa State
Alex Karaban – Uconn
Trey Kaufman-Renn – Purdue
Yaxel Lendeborg – Michigan
Tamin Lipsey – Iowa State
Koa Peat – Arizona
Darryn Peterson – Kansas
Labaron Philon Jr. – Alabama
Emanuel Sharp – Houston
Braden Smith – Purdue
Bennett Stirtz – Iowa
Bruce Thornton – Ohio State
JT Toppin – Texas Tech
Caleb Wilson – North Carolina
Selected by a midseason poll of national college basketball experts, the list comprises of 25 student-athletes who are frontrunners for the most prestigious honors in college basketball: the Wooden Award All-American Team and the Wooden Award Most Outstanding Player.
Brown, who missed the last five games due to a lower back injury, is averaging 16.6 points per game through 10 contests this season for the Cardinals. He has distributed 51 total assists against just 24 turnovers in all.
The freshman guard is shooting 38.3% from the floor, having netted 45 shots. He is one of three players from the ACC on the list.
The players on the list are considered strong candidates for the 2026 John R. Wooden Award® Men's Player of the Year. Players not selected for the list remain eligible for inclusion on the Wooden Award® midseason, late-season list, and the National Ballot. The National Ballot will feature 15 top players who have demonstrated to their universities that they meet or exceed the Wooden Award® qualifications.
In addition to the Wooden Midseason List, Brown was also named the USA Basketball 2025 Male Athlete of the Year on Tuesday.
2025-26 John R. Wooden Award Men's Midseason Top 25 Watch List
Darius Acuff Jr. – Arkansas
Nate Ament – Tennessee
Cameron Boozer – Duke
Jaden Bradley – Arizona
Mikel Brown Jr. – Louisville
Tucker DeVries – Indiana
AJ Dybansta – BYU
Kingston Fleming – Houston
PJ Haggerty – Kansas State
Thomas Haugh – Florida
Graham Ike – Gonzaga
Josh Jefferson – Iowa State
Alex Karaban – Uconn
Trey Kaufman-Renn – Purdue
Yaxel Lendeborg – Michigan
Tamin Lipsey – Iowa State
Koa Peat – Arizona
Darryn Peterson – Kansas
Labaron Philon Jr. – Alabama
Emanuel Sharp – Houston
Braden Smith – Purdue
Bennett Stirtz – Iowa
Bruce Thornton – Ohio State
JT Toppin – Texas Tech
Caleb Wilson – North Carolina
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