As a sophomore in high school, Brown wasnt a basketball star. He wasnt even a basketball player, focusing all his energy on calling plays for his high schools JV football team with his sights set on one day playing in The Swamp. That summer, however, Brown not only transferred schools, he also grew to 6-foot-6, which created a bit of a problem. He was too tall to be a quarterback, but seeing as he struggled to keep his weight above 160 pounds, he was too skinny to do much else.
I wasnt going to do anything that year. I was basically just going to give up on everything, Brown told NBCSports.com in a phone interview earlier this month, and it would have stayed that way if his new high schools hoops coach hadnt happened by during a pick-up game. I was just playing and the coach saw me playing in the gym. He told me to come in for practice and try out. I was already athletic, because I played football, but I gave him what he asked for and all of a sudden I just started playing varsity, starting and everything.
Dont laugh at me, but I came here at 160, Brown said. Now Im 205, so I came a long way. I was kind of glad that I had to sit out because I gained a little weight, so I wont get completely pushed around. It also gave Brown a chance to try and expand his game, which to this point in his career was more or less limited to his natural athleticism. I had to learn how to dribble, he said. You can run, you can jump, you can catch, you can do all of that. You dont know how to dribble? You might as well give it up.
Now, the x-factor here was that High Point couldnt actually work with Brown through all of this. They couldnt bring him into practice and he couldnt join the team in the weight room. They were really quite limited on what they would be able to do to help him improve. The only outside influence on Brown was the distractions that every freshman faces in college. He was scheduled to be a part of the team the following year, but as a freshman, Brown was nothing more than a regular college kid that just happened to be 6-foot-8.
Youve got so many distractions here at college, Brown said. Because my teammates, they were always practicing. I didnt have nobody coming in the gym with me. It was just me and my girlfriend, she would come and rebound for me.
