Mikel Brown Jr. doesn’t subscribe to the belief that juniors have to expedite their recruitment process in order to secure spots on rosters as college basketball’s infamous transfer portal looms.
When asked when he’s planning to take his first round of official visits, Brown said he’s a year off from walking on the proverbial red carpet at different college campuses as coaches try to ‘wow’ him with sales pitches.
“Yeah, it’ll probably be after my junior season, going into the spring season next year,” Brown said. “I’m taking things slow. I mean I could take a visit this summer, but I’m definitely not in any hurry for that stuff.”
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2024 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2025 Rankings: Top 130
Transfer Portal: Latest news | Portal player ranking/transfer tracker (hoops) | Portal player ranking/transfer tracker (football)
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Such is the life of one of the top juniors in the country. Brown checks in at No. 16 overall in the Rivals 150. He’s made good on his six-spot leap in the latest rankings release this summer, averaging 16 points and seven assists for Austin Rivers SE Elite in the adidas 3SSB.
Ever since NCAA rules allowed college coaches to have unlimited contact with 2025 prospects, Brown said he’s been hearing from programs such as Florida, Texas, Indiana, Michigan and Alabama. Auburn, Baylor, Maryland, Seton Hall, South Carolina, Michigan and LSU are just a handful of the other schools that have offered the 6-foot-2 point guard.
Brown took an unofficial visit to Florida two weeks ago and went to Texas A&M previously.
“It was nice, it’s only an hour and a half from home,” said Brown, who had to sit out most of the adidas 3SSB Championships last weekend with an injury. “Everything about the campus was really nice. I had a really good time.”
Brown grew up in Tallahassee and said that while he “liked Florida State,” a program which has offered Brown, he was more a fan of North Carolina.
“I wouldn’t say they’re my dream school, but I was a fan,” Brown said. “I love the color and they’re always really good, so it makes sense. Now, everything is different. I just want to be at the school that best fits my style.”
Brown thrives as a playmaker who pushes the pace with innate ability to find teammates in optimal scoring positions and score efficiently from all three levels when he calls his own number.
“I’m big on trust, so I want to be somewhere where the coach fully trusts me,” Brown said. “I want him to let me be who I am within the confines of his system. I want them to know they’ll get a true leader out of me in every way. I’ve got a lot of great options already.”
