Louisville star freshman Mikel Brown Jr. did not play in Tuesday night's 83-62 loss to No. 20 Tennessee because of a lower back injury.
Brown had been considered a game-time decision and was ruled out prior to tipoff in Knoxville.
He was replaced in the starting lineup by Kennesaw State transfer Adrian Wooley, making his first start of the season. Wooley finished with 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting and 4 rebounds in 34 minutes.
Brown has been one of the elite freshmen in the country this season, cementing himself as a potential top-five pick in June's NBA draft. The former five-star recruit is averaging 16.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists through 10 games.
His breakout performance came against Kentucky in early November, when he went for 29 points and 5 assists. Brown also had 22 points against Arkansas and fellow projected first-rounder Darius Acuff earlier this month.
The No. 11 Cardinals (9-2) host Montana on Saturday.