Louisville basketball signee, Pat Kelsey target take McDonald's All

Louisville basketball fans should tune into the McDonald’s All-American Game at 9 p.m. Tuesday for a couple of reasons.The first: a chance to watch point guard signee Mikel Brown Jr., who is the 29th Cardinals player to earn the honor.The second: five-star forward Nate Ament plans to play, and U of L is among the finalists for his commitment.It’s been a while since the McDonald’s All-American Game has been appointment viewing for Louisville basketball fans.

Was the top uncommitted player in the 2025 class sending a message that the Cards and Blue Devils are the top contenders in his high-profile recruitment?All that to say: Fanstake is not the end-all, be-all for Ament, who is a brand ambassador for the website. In January, he told 247Sports’ Dushawn London: “The money isn’t a huge factor. I really just want to improve in all aspects of the game; so I’ll go where I can improve and get better.”Here’s where things get really interesting: Kelsey & Co. are in the mix for a second Burger Boy.It’s Nate Ament, a five-star forward who ranks among the top four players in the Class of 2025 on the 247Sports Composite. The 6-foot-9 Virginia native is down to five finalists: Louisville, Arkansas, Duke, Kentucky and Tennessee. He had been planning since late February to make his college choice Tuesday but on Monday said he was pushing back the announcement — with no specific date in mind.

With the Cards taking center stage in Brooklyn, here’s a rundown on Brown and Ament — and everything you need to know to watch the McDonald’s All-American Game:In late November, Kelsey said he had a goal of developing Louisville into “Point Guard U.”Brown won’t have 100-plus collegiate games under his belt when he joins the Cards like Kelsey’s inaugural floor general, Chucky Hepburn; but his talent and potential are off the charts.

For the first time since 2019, the Cardinals have a player competing in the annual high school showcase; which tips off at 9 p.m. Tuesday inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. We’re talking, of course, about Mikel Brown Jr., a five-star point guard who announced his signing during U of L’s win over North Carolina on New Year’s Day.Reach Louisville men’s basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.

“I’ve coached some great, great, great (point guards); and I think Mikel is special,” Kelsey said after Brown’s signing announcement in January. “He’s a championship point guard.”This much is for sure, at least: U of L has amassed more money than any other suitor on Fanstake.com for him to pocket if he signs with Kelsey. Here’s a look at where the leaderboard stood as of March 24, eight days before the McDonald’s All-American Game:Brown told Louisville Sports Live that his senior season was cut short by an injury. He did not offer details on what was ailing him but said he was “100% ready to go” for the All-American game.Ament had a front-row seat to Louisville vs. Duke in the ACC Tournament’s championship game at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

A 6-3 product of DME Academy in Daytona Beach, Florida, Brown is Louisville’s 29th McDonald’s All-American and the first since Samuell Williamson in 2019. In February, ESPN tabbed him as a lottery pick in its first 2026 NBA Draft projections.

Can he live up to the hype when he arrives on campus May 27? How he fares Tuesday on a loaded West roster, featuring the No. 1 overall player in the 2025 cycle, AJ Dybantsa (BYU), and top combo guard, Darryn Peterson (Kansas), will be a good barometer.

1. Louisville ($86,747)
2. Kentucky ($48,810)
3. Duke ($25,840)
4. Tennessee ($6,050)

Per InsideNoVa.com, Ament averaged 18.9 points, 10 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 blocks as a senior, while helping lead Highland School to its first VISAA Division I state championship. He was named the Gatorade Virginia Boys Basketball Player of the Year.Ament’s fifth finalist, Arkansas, came in eighth with ,485.

File this among the stack of things coach Pat Kelsey changed during Year 1 on the job.Representing the East, Ament will oppose Brown in the McDonald’s All-American Game. The latter told Louisville Sports Live they’ve discussed playing together in college, though.”Me and him have just dialogue on, ‘How can we make this thing work?’ and, ‘Does it make the best sense?'” Brown said. “But, obviously, as a recruit and as a commit, I’m trying to get it; I’m trying to get the job done. I’m trying my best.”Me and him have had a lot of conversations about it. (We) kept it very low-key; we’re both focused on the task at hand right now — and that’s us getting better.”This year’s McDonald’s All-American Game will air on ESPN, which is channel 602 on AT&T U-Verse; channel 206 on DirecTV; channel 140 on Dish; and channel 506 on Spectrum.If you subscribe to a cable package, you’ll be able to livestream the game via ESPN.com and the ESPN app. If you don’t have cable, you can livestream the game via Fubo, which offers a free trial.

“I sit all my accolades to the side; I want to win,” Brown said last week, during an appearance on Louisville Sports Live. “I think (winning) the national championship is the biggest expectation right now.”