Race for 5-star Brown gets more crowded
Jaylen Brown entered this past travel season as a well-known, five-star prospect at the small forward position, but he wasn't really in the conversation as being considered the best prospect in the country. Likewise, he had several really good college programs on him, but didn't yet have the perennial powerhouses heavily involved.
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Fast forward six months: Brown is now the second-ranked prospect in the 2015 Rivals150 and can literally name his school when it comes to making a decision on where he'll play college basketball.
Most recently, the Michigan Wolverines decided to join the mix of schools battling for Brown's services next year.
"Half of my family went to Michigan, and the other half went to Michigan State," Brown said. "Michigan had never recruited [me] before, and my uncle was wondering why, so he reached out to them. They called to see if I had interest and I said 'Sure, I'll check them out'."
Head coach John Beilein has elevated Michigan's program in recent years to where it now competes in the NCAA tournament every year and has produced several first-round NBA picks.
"I like how they develop their players. A lot of their players aren't highly rated guys, and they turn them into lottery picks like Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway and Nick Stauskas. I like how they play and have freedom within their system."
North Carolina also entered into the Brown sweepstakes last month.
"North Carolina has always been like a dream school. Growing up, I was a huge North Carolina fan," Brown said. "They never recruited me because they have a lot of players that play my position. Coach Roy [Williams] called me about three weeks ago and told me, 'we can use you,' so I'm going to check them out now. They have Justin Jackson, Theo Pinson and J.P. Tokoto that play my position, but he said those guys might be looking to leave after this season, so I might be able to go in and play there. They are interested in me now, so I'm interested in them and I always have been."
Last week, news came out regarding North Carolina and an academic scandal involving their athletic department. It didn't faze Brown.
"It doesn't affect how I feel about UNC because I've liked them since I was growing up, but that's definitely something to look into and check out when it comes to making my decision," Brown said. "Right now, I can't say too much more than that. If the sanctions are serious, then it might affect my decision, but as of now, it's fine. Coach Hubert Davis talked to me about it, but he said it should all be alright."
Michigan and North Carolina arrived later than the other schools to begin recruiting Brown, but he says that won't matter when it comes time to sign with a school.
"Nobody is at a disadvantage with me because this is a big decision. It's not about who has recruited me the hardest. It's about where I fit in the best."
Brown has already completed official visits to Kansas and Kentucky and plans to take his next official visit to UCLA on Oct. 31. Michigan and North Carolina are likely to receive his final two official visits, while Georgia and Georgia Tech are likely to receive unofficial visits.
Following his visit to Kansas, Brown came impressed with the family atmosphere head coach Bill Self has created.
"It was nice. My mom really liked it," Brown said. "It's a college town and a big campus. It's a family-type environment. I liked it a lot. I got to talk to a lot of their players like Wayne Selden, Kelly Oubre, Jamari Traylor and Devonte Graham. I got close with a lot of those guys. I got to spend a lot of good time with Coach Self and his family and Coach [Norm] Roberts. It was great."
Since John Calipari's arrival in Lexington, Kentucky has become known for pumping out NBA players. Brown believes there is a reason for that.
"Everything they do is preparation for the NBA. They are serious about everything they do. You are in that lifestyle before you get to the NBA, so you are ready. You have no choice but to get better and play a certain type of way when you go to Kentucky."
Georgia head coach Mark Fox made the decision to hire Yasir Rosemond back as an assistant coach in May, a move that helps the Bulldogs' chances of signing Brown. Rosemond, a Georgia ntaive, played in the same AAU program as Brown, and the two have known each other since Brown was 13 years old.
"It definitely makes me differently about them because I know if I go to Georgia that there will always be somebody there who is going to shoot me straight but also have my back. If I go somewhere else, I don't know for sure that they really want you there. I know if I go to Georgia that at least one person will always have my back."
Look for Brown to make a decision in April or May after completing his senior season of high schools basketball. One advantage of waiting to decide for Brown is waiting to see what happens with players at the schools he's considering and whether they decide to declare for the NBA Draft.
"Absolutely, I'll be watching what happens with the players at each school and who goes pro. At the same time though, I just want to find the best fit for me because all of these schools are really good schools. There are all great schools. I can't go wrong with any of them. It's about what is best for me, where I fit the best, and where I feel most comfortable."
In recent months, there has been talk about top high school basketball prospects following in the footsteps of Emmanuel Mudiay by skipping college altogether and heading overseas to play for a year before coming back to the NBA. However Brown's current plan is to go to college for a year.
"I have every intention of going to college as of now. Mudiay did what's best for him and his family and that's fine, but I have every intention of going to college. I'm just focused on what I'm doing right now. If things change later, then they will change, but right now, I have every intention of going to college."
Dan McDonald is a contributing national basketball recruiting analyst for Rivals.com. You can click here to follow him on Twitter.
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