The first thing that comes to mind when speaking the name of Greg Brown is athleticism. Arguably the best athlete in America, Brown has sat amongst the elite since he stepped foot into a high school classroom and has remained steady with his five-star rating ever since.
Entering his senior year, Brown has continued to make the proper strides with his skill set while keeping a close eye on his recruitment. Last month, he narrowed his school list to Auburn, Kentucky, Memphis, North Carolina and Texas. His first official visit was taken to the local UT program last weekend and four others will be made over the next several months, which will lead to a late signing in April.
Brown is in no rush to make a college decision but is rather focused on bettering his craft. In making a trip down to his Vandegrift High School’s open gym, I had the chance to speak with the top-10 talent about a number of subjects. We discussed his five finalists, what each of their pitches are, the idea of playing with top-ranked guard Cade Cunningham in college, and if the professional realm interests him prior to the NBA.
Corey Evans (CE): How has your senior year been going?
Greg Brown (GB): It has been good to me. Being a senior, it just holds a higher responsibility because you have little freshmen and sophomores looking up to your every move, so you have to make every move perfect for them.
CE: On the floor, you have taken the next step with your skill development. What has been your focus over the past few weeks and months?
GB: Really, I have just been trying to get the rest of my teammates involved to get them their shots and to get them to shoot. I am just trying to evolve my game as a passer.
CE: You’re down to a final five, so let’s go one by one. You visited Texas last week so how was that?
GB: It was really good. The fans (at the LSU footbal game) were crazy and we went into the locker room and it was insane.
CE: What was different with that official visit compared to the prior trips that you made to campus?
GB: I didn’t really see the entire campus before then but we went into the athletic director’s office, the president’s office, and seeing everything around campus and not just the gym.
CE: What has been their direct pitch with you?
GB: Just coming in and giving good minutes and being the go-to guy, and just that they can help get me ready for the NBA.
CE: Penny Hardaway and Memphis was in last week for you. Talk to me about your feelings for that program.
GB: It is a blessing to be offered by that program because of the minds around it. You have a former NBA assistant coach (Cody Toppert), and then you have two all-stars (Mike Miller and Penny Hardaway), and it is just like, they want me to play for that team? It is just a blessing to me.
CE: You don’t visit there until Jan. 4, so what are you going to be watching the next few months?
GB: If they can win. I want to be a part of a winning program and make them win, of course, and just win a national championship. I just want to see how they look.
CE: John Calipari was also in for you last week. What has been their pitch to you?
GB: Just about the plan to get me to the league and who they have in the league and how much money those guys have made. It is just Cal being Cal.
CE: Has he talked about how he might use you?
GB: Just everywhere around the court. Both defensively and offensively, but also coming in and being a leader on the team.
CE: North Carolina, they have been on there for a while with you?
GB: I haven’t really heard from them a lot lately, but they are still on my list.
CE: What are you looking forward to seeing once you go back on Sept. 27?
GB: Just to watch the practice and the type of intensity in the gym. How the coaches talk, their players and their relationships.
CE: Auburn is the final one; what has been their sell throughout?
GB: I really haven’t talked to them a lot, either. They have been talking to my dad, but it is a really good program. They made it to the Final Four last year and made a big-time run. That is just a really big program.
CE: You share two finalists (Kentucky and UNC) with your travel teammate, Cade Cunningham. Have you guys talked about college together?
GB: Yeah. He always talks about going to the same college with me and I am just like, “Okay!” But I just try and keep it cordial but also not give out anything but also have a good idea of if we do go to the same college together, have an idea of where to go.
CE: Does it interest you at all?
GB: It does. Playing with Cade, he is a great point guard and a great player to play with, but only time will tell.
CE: You’re going to be one of the last five-star guys to commit just because we know your schedule, so what will you be watching over the next four months or so with your finalists?
GB: Just how they play me and for my plans to get to the NBA. What I am going to be able to do for the next six or eight months?
CE: Lately, there have been an uptick in deferrals to the professional ranks instead of college. Has that avenue been broached to you at all?
GB: Yeah. My dad and I have already talked a lot about that and getting ready for the league.
CE: Does that idea interest you at all?
GB: It does, but there is a lot of work that would have to go into it and it would be really hard, so I just need to prepare the right way.
CE: Could it be a route that you eventually take instead of college?
GB: No. I am going to go to college. My dad, he just saw another player do it and he just shook his head and said no.
CE: Why is college so important to you?
GB: I think that it will just develop me as a player and I would have the chance to play at one of the highest levels in college basketball and just get better by developing with college coaches and seeing what they have to say because they know a lot more than high school coaches do. I am just trying to get better.
