A Closer Look at Five-Star Point Guard Mikel Brown, Jr. Who Recently Visited Ole Miss
OXFORD, Miss. — The Ole Miss men’s basketball program could not be in a better place than it is now. The Rebels are fresh off a record-setting victory over Mississippi State, where the Ole Miss faithful set the SJB Pavilion attendance record with a grand total of 10,630. The Rebels are currently 18-3, overall, and 5-3 in league play as they look to defeat a good Auburn Tiger team this Saturday at the Pavilion.
Before we turn our attention to the Tigers, however, head coach Chris Beard has made some noise on the recruiting trail recently.
One of those 10,630 was Mikel Brown Jr., a 6-foot-2, 165-pound point guard in the class of 2025. On an official visit, Brown Jr. was in attendance at the Rebel’s game Tuesday night against Mississippi State. Brown is a 5-star point guard from Orlando, Florida who currently plays for Overtime Elite in Atlanta, Georgia.
It’s not my process, it’s OUR process, but enjoying the process❤️❤️❤️#NotCommited #Family1st pic.twitter.com/08exXE0jBr
— Mikel Brown Jr (@MikelBrownJr1) February 1, 2024
Prior to visiting Ole Miss, Brown Jr. spoke with Dushawn London of 247Sports and had this to say regarding what he wishes to accomplish on this upcoming visit:
“I’m looking forward to building a relationship with the coaching staff,” Brown said. “I’ve had good talks with them and have a good relationship with the staff. I’m going to look at the campus when I’m there to see how it is and build with them.”
Brown Jr., plays on the same team as current Ole Miss commit, John Bol. For the 2023-2024 season, Brown Jr. averages 12.8 PTS, 5.2 AST, and 1.8 REB. He is currently the 16th-best prospect in the 2025 class and the number two overall point guard in his class per 247’s rankings.
MIKEL BROWN JR IS ON ONE RN 🤯 @MikelBrownJr1
TAP IN: https://t.co/yonDRtS0o6 pic.twitter.com/ryWTMwHEeY
— Overtime Elite (@OvertimeElite) December 23, 2023
Earlier this week was Brown Jr’s second official visit this winter as he previously visited Alabama on January 16th and then Ole Miss. As the No. 16 player in the entire class, Brown has received offers from many of the top programs from around the country, including: Auburn, Baylor, Kansas, Texas, Maryland, Seton Hall, Indiana, Florida, and many others.
This past summer, Brown Jr. attended the Formula Zero camp hosted by Damian Lillard. The camp only selects 20 high school players to attend each year. Before deciding to join Overtime Elite, Brown Jr. attended Sunrise Christian and Orlando Christian Prep.
If Brown Jr were to follow his teammate to Ole Miss, he would be the highest-ranked recruit in Ole Miss program history. Coincidentally, that teammate, John Bol, is currently the highest-rated player to ever choose Ole Miss, as the 2024 recruit is currently 37th in 247’s class ranking.
While Brown Jr. is one of the top members of the 2025 recruiting class, there is chatter of a possible reclassification to the 2024 class. That move could take place sometime this spring if it were to happen.
Scouting Report
A smaller point guard physically, Brown Jr. makes up for that with a huge impact on the court. He looks and plays in control with the ball in his hands and looks for several different opportunities to dissect a defense. He has an advanced basketball IQ that is on display in the little things he does on the court — most notably is the way he sets up his attack and the advanced dribble moves used to execute.
As a handler, Brown Jr. is a smart guard who has a shiftiness to his game that is coupled with a quick burst on the court. He excels at setting up his defender in pick-n-roll scenarios and makes the proper read and pass a high percentage of the time, whether it be to the roll man, to the secondary or for a shot himself. He processes the game very quickly on that end and can make split-second decisions.
The biggest area for improvement for Brown Jr. will be in his size because at 6-foot-3 175 lbs, he can be knocked off course. He struggles at times to finish through major contact on the way to the rim. He will normally pull up for a floater in the paint before going all the way to the rim.
He is a lights-out shooter with the ball in his hands. Whether it be off the dribble or from a standstill, Brown Jr. has a scoring gravity every time the ball is in his hands. He has a consistent shooting motion and can hit shots from various spots and depths on the court.
He possesses smart defensive instincts and loves to try and poke the ball away, especially on wraparounds for driving attackers. His frame could be an area to monitor going forward as bigger guards may use physicality to get him off balance defensively or to find ways by him.
Overall, Brown Jr. is a playmaking point guard whose confidence makes him an elevating guard on the court. He makes his teammates look better and can help take the pressure off by scoring himself. His shooting prowess and shiftiness will lead to early success as he looks to fill out size-wise. He projects as an instant impact guard at several high major colleges.
There is still time left for Ole Miss to make an impact in the recruiting cycle, but a commitment from Brown Jr. would give Ole Miss more momentum in an already program-defining season. Stay tuned for more updates. Make sure to keep in touch with all Ole Miss recruiting stories at The Rebel Walk.
Coleman Young
Coleman Young is a 2021 graduate of Ole Miss. Born and raised in Baltimore, Coleman has always been an avid basketball fan, growing up watching the Maryland Terrapins. His love for college hoops grew even more when he attended Ole Miss in 2017. Coleman is a huge fan of all Ole Miss sports as well as the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles. He was previously an Ole Miss College Hoops contributor at OleHottyToddy.com.
