Todd Golden
The Tribune-Star
TERRE HAUTE —
Devonte Brown lives in Killeen, Texas — nearly a thousand miles away from the Indiana State campus.
But Brown made a verbal commitment to play men’s basketball at ISU because he immediately felt at home in Terre Haute.
“It’s a big family. When I was there, it felt like the environment I was in with my own family. It just felt right,” said Brown, who visited ISU over the weekend.
Brown, a guard who plays at Killeen Ellison High School, knows big families. His mom’s side of his family lives in Louisiana and he lives in Killeen, where he also has extended family.
“I lived in Louisiana when I was young and going there reminded me of that. I loved the coaching staff and I loved playing with the guys. I felt really comfortable with those guys,” said Brown, who lived in Narco, La., before he moved
to Texas when he was in the
fourth grade.
Brown also joins a Sycamore “family” that includes Texas native Myles Walker and Lousiana native Dwayne Lathan. Brown felt an immediate bond upon meeting Lathan.
“He reminds me a lot of my own brother. I instantly felt close to him,” Brown said.
Ellison coach Alberto Jones said Brown’s commitment to a family atmosphere at ISU makes sense given that Brown’s own family situation has given him a good foundation for success.
“Outside of basketball, he’s got a great background. He’s a hard worker and he’s humble. On the court, they got a hard worker and he wants to get dedicated to get better,” Jones said.
The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Brown averaged 15 points, seven rebounds, four steals and three assists per game at Ellison during his junior season, one year after he earned a starting role for the Screaming Eagles. Brown played shooting guard for 22-11 Ellison last season, leading it to the Texas 5-A playoffs as Killeen’s best team in that class. Brown will switch and play point guard during his senior season at Ellison.
He could play either role for the Sycamores, and fits a mold that Rashad Reed filled for the Sycamores during the last two seasons.
“I’m a good driver, I’m good at getting to the rim and finishing. I can also come off screens and I’ve got a good mid-range game. When I can do fits real well with what the coaching staff at Indiana State wants to do,” Brown said.
Brown is the second recruit for ISU for the 2011 class. Terre Haute’s Justin Gant made a verbal commitment to the Sycamores in July.
Brown said ISU first showed interest in him when the July recruiting period began. He plays for the ATX AAU team, and the Sycamores first let him know they were interested after a tournament in Duncanville, Texas. Jones said he was in touch with ISU assistant coach Lou Gudino and head coach Greg Lansing throughout July.
Brown quickly drew interest from several other mid- to low-major programs — including Arkansas-Little Rock, Stephen F. Austin, Long Island University and Central Connecticut — but the Sycamores were the first to offer Brown a scholarship after after visiting the campus he became a Sycamore-to-be.
Per NCAA rules, the ISU coaching staff cannot comment on a recruit until he signs his letter of intent.
Brown doesn’t have any preconceived notion of what his role with the Sycamores will be. He only knows that he wants to make his mark via work ethic to start.
“I feel really good going up there. I’ve just been working hard [to earn a basketball scholarship],” Brown said. “I know I won’t start when I get there, but I will work. It’s what I’ve always done,” Brown said.
Jones knows Brown will miss his family, but he also thinks Brown’s commitment to basketball is going to make him a fan favorite among Sycamore fans.
“He was interested in ISU because that’s a basketball-first school and that’s what he wanted. He’ll definitely miss his mom, but he’ll like it there,” Brown said.
