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New-age Gator Big man Brown finds court freedom with Florida
Posted: Tuesday July 11, 2000 11:06 AM
By Albert Lin, CNNSI.com TEANECK, N.J. -- Kwame Brown thinks of himself as a new-age big man. And he believes he's found the perfect program to maximize his abilities. The Georgia native took one trip to the Florida campus last summer, and he committed on the spot, before his junior year had even begun. The Gators probably could have used him in the NCAA championship game against Michigan State; his added bulk and interior defense may have been enough to give Florida the title. "I went down for an individual workout, and, man, they worked me real good," Brown says. "I found myself in a situation where I knew if I attended Florida, I would do nothing but improve, get better. I feel it's the best school for me -- not to say there aren't others with a good work ethic -- but it's close to home and they treat it like a family. If I want to get better, that's a good school to go to." The thing is, Brown is already plenty good. CNNSI.com analyst Brick Oettinger ranks the Glynn Academy (Brunswick, Ga.) senior the No. 5 player in the class. Brown had been known primarily as an athletic shot-blocker prior to last season, but he has since shown many more layers to his game. The 6-foot-11, 235-pounder has a Vin Baker-ish (30 pounds ago) body with guard skills. And there's the rub. Brown has drawn heaps of criticism in recent months for his tendency to drift toward the perimeter; the phrase "world's biggest guard" has been used to describe him. "I think I'm more effective facing the basket, that's my strong point," he says. "But a lot of coaches, especially older coaches, think tall guys should play with their backs to the basket. I think I'm stronger facing the basket, because I can see guys, I can pass the ball, and I handle it pretty good." Brown developed his outside game, interestingly enough, for defensive reasons. While many ball-handling centers played guard before a sudden growth spurt, Brown has been a tree his entire life. "Always playing against small guys, you had to learn to handle it, or they would just take it from you," he says. Indeed, Brown looks like a natural putting the ball on the floor, and he has nice form and a soft touch on his jumper. Because he is so capable, he doesn't plan to give up his walkabouts any time soon. "I prefer playing outside, but once I establish my inside game it shouldn't be a problem to do both," he says. "A lot of coaches might not think that's good, but I do. The more things you do the more valuable you are. If you can pull a big guy out of the paint and make him guard you, then he doesn't see other guys. The great players do it all -- Michael Jordan could post up and he could shoot. If I work on my shot and my post game more, maybe I can be more effective." This is where Billy Donovan comes in. The 35-year-old coach has quickly gained notice as one of the best recruiters in the nation, and as someone who uses a player-friendly system. There was no hard pitch necessary to sell Brown. "He doesn't limit his big men," Brown says. "A lot of college coaches limit what their players can do. Why would you take an All-American with so much talent and then tell him he can't do something? [Donovan] has 6-9 guys hitting threes, defending the break, running all day long. I think they wear teams down, that's why they were able to play for the national championship." Brown hopes to be a part of a few Final Four appearances during his tenure in Gainesville, however long that might last. There has been talk about him skipping college entirely, but he says that is not an issue, even if he is projected as a top pick. And the way he talks about Florida, that's not so hard to believe. "You just have to find what fits and feels like home for you," says Brown, who has never visited another campus and has no plans to do so. "I think I've found the place that's home for me."
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