2022 Avery Brown building bonds with Indiana, Missouri, others
Originally from Connecticut, point guard Avery Brown now attends Massachusetts’ Northfield Mount Hermon Prep School and plays his grassroots basketball with the PSA Cardinals organization. He’s also making noise on the radars of multiple college coaches. The 2022 prospect holds a handful of major offers and is certain to attract more in the year ahead. Below, Brown discusses where things stand and talks about a number of college coaches with whom he’s in frequent contact.
ON SCHOOLS HE’S MOST INTERESTED IN RIGHT NOW
“It’s been a lot of blessings coming my way. But, as of now, I’m just taking it all in and trying to get a feel for these coaches. I’m trying to get a feel for their programs and how they operate. A lot goes into the process of picking a school, and I’m just trying to figure that all out. As of right now, I talk to a lot of programs in the daily. A few of the ones that really talk to me on a consistent basis are Indiana -- Archie Miller and Kenya Hunter. Then, Missouri -- Coach [Cuonzo] Martin and the whole staff. Nebraska and Ohio State, too. Providence and UConn, too. It’s a good amount of schools.”
ON INDIANA
“They offered me a couple months ago, and they’ve been great to me. Coach Kenya Hunter and I built a great relationship. He talks to my parents on a daily basis. We text each other. The same goes for Archie Miller. Whenever he has time, he talks to me and we get on Zooms to watch film together. It helps me get a feel for how they operate and how they practice.”
ON MISSOURI
“Coach Martin and I talk. They offered right before Indiana, I think. Coach Martin and that staff shows a lot of love. I’ve been in a couple zooms with them. I’ve actually been in a Zoom with their strength trainer and theory nutritionist, too. They have given a great feel on how they operate and what they’re working on with the current players.”
ON OTHER SCHOOLS HE ZOOMS WITH
“I just got on Zoom calls with both Ohio State and Nebraska last week, actually.”
ON THE ZOOM WITH OHIO STATE
“It was really informational. I was on there with Coach [Chris] Holtmann and Coach [Jake] Diebler. It was really informational. I think that was our third one. It was informational in terms of how Ohio State gets their players ready to be pros. They teach them how to brand themselves and how to market their names. When I go to college, I’ll be able to profit off my name and likeness. They spent time showing me how they are going to help me do that and how they can make me a household name in terms of college sports.”
ON IF OTHER SCHOOLS TALK ABOUT NAME AND LIKENESS
“Only Ohio State and Indiana brought it up so far. Ohio State talks about it, and Coach Kenya Hunter at Indiana was just telling me how they have a class session for the basketball team. They give the players projections on how much money they are going to make and also teach them how to make money off their Instagrams.”
ON NEBRASKA
“Coach [Fred] Hoiberg coached in the NBA. their thing is that they can get me to that level, being that Coach Hoiberg has been there and knows what it takes to get there. That’s where I want to be. They think I can come in and be an impact player.”
ON STAYING CLOSE TO HOME
“It doesn’t matter to me. I’ve been making sacrifices my whole life. I’ve been away at school since I was 15, so being away from home doesn’t affect me as much as it would a regular kid. I’ll make any sacrifice I have to make to be at a program I like and that is going to get me to the next level.”
ON IF THERE ARE OFFERS HE’D LIKE TO GET
“I don’t really want anything to be honest. If a school is not feeling me, that’s on them. If a school is being hesitant and we end up playing them, then I’ll give them the business. That’s my mindset. If you want to sleep on me, then we’ll meet up one day. I’m focused on the schools that show love.”
RIVALS REACTION: Ohio State and Indiana seem to have positioned themselves well in the early going, even if the Buckeyes are yet to offer. There’s no telling what might change and which other programs will get involved in the year ahead, however, so making a predication at this juncture wouldn't be wise. Brown seems to be turning heads among the college ranks, so I’d expect his offer list to grow. His bond with Indiana assistant Kenya Hunter is notable and will likely play a role in his recruitment until the end.