Ever since Mikel Brown Jr. returned to the Louisville lineup last month against Virginia Tech, Louisville has been a different team. The Cardinals are 6-1 since Brown returned from a back injury that sidelined him for over a month. The lone loss Louisville sustained during that stretch was against No. 3 Duke on the road.
During Brown’s last two outings, he reminded college basketball fans and NBA decision-makers why he is deserving of a top 10 draft pick this summer. Brown exploded for 45 points (and hit 10 3-pointers) to set an ACC freshman record during a blowout win over NC State last week. Brown then delivered 29 points and six assists against Baylor in a rare February nonconference showdown
During that two-game stretch, Brown shot 14 of 21 from the 3-point line and made all 16 of his free-throw attempts.
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“I love the ownership he’s taking on the floor,” Louisville coach Pat Kelsey reported earlier this month. “He’s the young guy compared to these other guys, who are five or six years older than him in some instances. But he’s speaking up; he’s the primary voice in that huddle many times.”
Let’s jump into our rankings and get to our CBS Sports/USBWA Freshman of the Week for the 2025-26 college basketball season.
Freshman of the Week: Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville
Welcome back to the Frosh Watch, our weekly ranking of the ten most impressive freshmen in college basketball. For the 11th season in a row, CBS Sports has once again teamed up with the United States Basketball Writers Association and its Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Award to present this every-Tuesday feature. Each week, we’ll start by announcing the national Freshman of the Week honoree. The cycle for FOTW runs Tuesday-Monday.
Brown, the former No. 6 overall player in the 2025 recruiting cycle by 247Sports, has been fantastic since returning from injury. The showing he had against NC State was one of the best individual performances by any prospect in this class. In this frosh class, there have been seven instances in which a player scored at least 40 points. Brown was the just in first-year player to join the exclusive club.
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Brown is the No. 5 overall player in the CBS Sports NBA Draft Prospect Rankings. This summer’s draft class is expected to be filled with guards taken in the lottery. Brown is putting himself back in the conversation to be the first player at the position drafted. Above all else, Brown gives Louisville not only a higher ceiling but a higher floor, too.
Previous Freshman of the Week winners
- Nov. 11: Koa Peat, Arizona
- Nov. 18: Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville
- Nov. 25: Cameron Boozer, Duke
- Dec. 2: Cameron Boozer, Duke
- Dec. 9: Hannes Steinbach, Washington
- Dec. 16: AJ Dybantsa, BYU
- Dec. 23: Shelton Henderson, Miami
- Dec. 30: Ebuka Okorie, Stanford
- Jan. 6: Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas
- Jan. 13: Braylon Mullins, UConn
- Jan. 20: Cameron Boozer, Duke
- Jan. 27: Keaton Wagler, Illinois
- Feb. 3: Bryson Tiller, Kansas
- Feb. 10: Alijah Arenas, USC
Frosh Watch: Ranking top 10 freshmen
1. Cameron Boozer | F | Duke
Stats: 23.3 PPG | 10.0 RPG | 4.0 APG
Boozer had another strong performance against Syracuse. The Duke star finished the night with 22 points and 12 rebounds. There have been 11 instances in which Boozer has led both teams in points and total rebounds outright in a game. Per OptaStats, the only freshmen to accomplish that feat in the last 30 years: Michael Beasley, Kevin Durant and Boozer. Last week: 1
2. AJ Dybantsa | F | BYU
Stats: 24.4 PPG | 6.6 RPG | 3.8 APG
After scoring 56 points combined in games against Baylor and Colorado, Dybantsa now leads the nation in scoring. The BYU star is averaging 24.4 points per game. With BYU star Richie Saunders out with a season-ending ACL tear, Dybantsa will be asked to carry even more weight on the offensive end of the floor. Last week: 3
3. Darryn Peterson | G | Kansas
Stats: 19.8 PPG | 3.9 RPG | 1.6 APG
As I’ve written multiple times already, the Peterson situation is one I haven’t seen … maybe, ever? The talent is undeniable. If the NBA draft happened tomorrow, odds are, Peterson would go No. 1. However, his availability this season has been a major question mark. He missed a game against No. 1 Arizona last week with flu-like symptoms and then logged only 24 points in a loss to Iowa State. Peterson scored just 10 points and didn’t play the final seven minutes of the second half against the Cyclones. Last week: 2
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4. Caleb Wilson | F | North Carolina
Stats: 19.8 PPG | 9.4 RPG | 2.7 APG
Wilson will be out for the foreseeable future after fracturing his hand. Wilson has been one of the best first-year players in the sport and has worked himself into the conversation to be a top-five pick this summer. Wilson’s 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game lead the Tar Heels. Losing Wilson is a massive deal for UNC, and others will have to step up. Last week: 4
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5. Darius Acuff Jr. | G | Arkansas
Stats: 21.2 PPG | 2.9 RPG | 6.3 APG
Acuff isn’t being talked about enough. The Arkansas guard should be the pick for SEC Player of the Year if the season ended today. The numbers he is putting up on a nightly basis are incredible. Acuff is coming off a 31-point outing against Auburn. He has scored at least 20 points in nine of Arkansas’ 12 games against SEC competition. Last week: 7
6. Keaton Wagler | G | Illinois
Stats: 18.5 PPG | 5.0 RPG | 4.3 APG
Wagler continues to put up impressive numbers. Despite the loss against Wisconsin last week, Wagler finished with 34 points and seven assists. As my colleague Isaac Trotter wrote and noted, there are just five true freshmen in Big Ten basketball who have averaged at least 17 points, four rebounds and four assists: Magic Johnson, Jalen Rose, D’Angelo Russell, Dylan Harper and … Wagler. Pretty solid company. Last week: 6
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7. Kingston Flemings | G | Houston
Stats: 16.4 PPG | 3.6 RPG | 5.3 APG
Flemings is as good as any player in the sport at getting to his spots. The Houston star also thrives when playing against ranked opponents. Flemings finished with 22 points against No. 6 Iowa State on Monday. Flemings has scored at least 19 points in seven games against ranked teams. Last week: 5
8. Mikel Brown Jr. | G | Louisville
Stats: 17.9 PPG | 3.3 RPG | 5.1 APG
Brown has returned to the rankings after two very strong performances. Brown was included In the top 10 for a majority of the season, but dropped out recently after missing extended time due to injury. As he showed last week, when he’s healthy, there aren’t many first-year players in the sport better than him. Last week: NR
9. Brayden Burries | G | Arizona
Stats: 15.7 PPG | 4.7 RPG | 2.6 APG
There was a debate early in the season about who Arizona’s best freshman on the roster was. Koa Peat had a very strong start to the year, so it was easy to say him. However, in the last few months, there hasn’t been really a debate about who has been better. Burries has established himself as a potential lottery pick this summer because of his play. He scored 25 points in a loss to Kansas and knocked down four 3-pointers in a tough road environment. Last week: 8
10. Ebuka Okorie | G | Stanford
Stats: 22.5 PPG | 3.3 RPG | 3.3 APG
If Boozer or Wilson weren’t in the ACC, Okorie would have a very strong case for ACC Freshman of the Year. Okorie is coming off a 26-point outing in a loss to Wake Forest last weekend. His 22.5 points per game ranks No. 5 in the nation. Last week: 9
