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Louisville Hooper ‘Baptizes’ 6-Foot-11 Kentucky Rival With Rim Rattling Jam At Team USA Training

#College Basketball
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Mikel Brown dunks at the McDonald's All America Game

© Pamela Smith-Imagn Images


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The basketball rivalry between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Louisville Cardinals truly never dies. That was on full display during an offseason training session involving players from each school.

Mikel Brown, Jr. and Malachi Moreno both competed for a chance to make the Team USA U19 roster. During a recent practice, Brown put his future rival on a poster.

Mikel Brown is a five-star guard that was considered a Top 10 player nationally in the 2025 recruiting class. Hailing from Orlando, Florida, he signed with the Cardinals in January over Arizona, Indiana, Maryland, and Kentucky.

Having already enrolled, he’ll hope to make an immediate impact on the court. First, he’s doing his best to crack into another starting rotation.

Team USA U19 tryouts have been in full swing this summer. Brown, alongside 6-foot-11 Kentucky center Malachi Moreno, were both in attendance.

Moreno was also a member of the 2025 recruiting class. He was considered the best player in the state of Kentucky, choosing the Wildcats over Arkansas, Indiana, North Carolina, and Ohio State.

The center stands 6-foot-11 with a wingspan over seven-feet according to his recruiting bio. That didn’t matter to 6-foot-3 Mikel Brown this weekend.

The point guard put Moreno on a poster with a rim-rattling slam dunk. It made immediate waves on social media.

Brown gave the Cardinals an offseason win with his dunk on Moreno. It might just resurface when the two squads face off next November.

That being said, a number of Kentucky supporters were quick to point out that their big man wasn’t playing at 100%. He was forced to exit Team USA training soon after that viral clip due to an injury. That setback is not expected to be significant, but it might’ve played a role in his defensive effort.

Moreno will look for a chance to exact revenge on Mikel Brown, Jr. when the time comes.