The Rumble in the Bronx can be a launching pad for a successful summer and bring with it significantly more recruiting attention. One player who caught the eye of NBE at the Rumble was 6-foot-2, 185-pound guard Josh Brown who was playing with the Sports U/Team Izod AAU program. The product of famed St. Anthony’s in Jersey City (NJ) showed he is a freak of an athlete and used his superior athleticism to make plays in all facets of the game. He’s a strong rebounder and once he grabs a defensive board it’s off to the races. An absolute blur in the open court, Brown is just as likely to dunk on an unsuspecting defender’s head as he is to make a simple bounce pass to a teammate for an easy score.
In the half-court, he is simply devastating in pick and roll sets as he uses his speed to turn the corner and get to the rim and is also very adept at drawing the double team and whipping a pass to the screener for a layup. In the opinion of NBE’s contributor Brian Bosworth, Brown is only a consistent jump shot away from being a top 50 player nationally in the 2013 class.
With that talent, he has seen an immediate uptick in his recruitment. At the Rumble he told NBE that Temple and Florida Atlantic were the main schools he had heard from. Things have certainly changed in a short amount of time.
“I’ve heard from Temple, Rutgers, Seton Hall, St. Joe’s, La Salle, UMass, Cincinnati, Florida Atlantic, Iona and Monmouth,” said Brown to NBE late Thursday night, also indicating he has no favorites at this point. “I’m wide open at this point.”
Brown will certainly have the chance to open more eyes during the live evaluation periods this July when college coaches hit the road. Then in the fall he will go back to St. Anthony’s where he is expected to play a large roll for the Friars under the guidance of Hall of Fame coach Bob Hurley. The experience of playing for coach Hurley is cherished by Brown.
“The best part of being at St. Anthony’s is just being taught the game of basketball by the best of the best [in] Bob Hurley Sr.,” said Brown.
While Brown was impressive at the Rumble in the Bronx, his spring had been going well as he led Sports U to the Hoop Group Spring Jam Fest crown and was named MVP in the process. When asked what he is looking forward to the most on the summer circuit, Brown gave an answer showing his competitive nature as he welcomes all comers.
“Just the competition and being able to showcase my talent against the best of the best,” Brown said of what he is looking forward to the most this summer.
While Brown looks to be just touching the tip of the iceberg of his potential, his recruitment is also in the very early stages. Whole there are no leaders or favorites, Brown shared with NBE what he will be looking for in a college when it is time to make a decision.
“Academics will take a toll and also somewhere reasonable where my father can come see me play from time to time,” said Brown. “Also it would come down to what school shows me the most love and has very big plans for me at their school. It would [also] come down to who is loyal and who can I trust that will develop my skills to get to the next level.
If the opportunity arises this summer or next winter when he is playing for St. Anthony’s, fans might want to check out Josh Brown. You can be certain college coaches will be make their effort to see him in action!
http://www.nbebasketball.com/w3/201...tock-riser-josh-brown-sports-ust-anthonys-hs/
