BY ALEJANDRO LOPEZ & SAM LANCE
KANSAS CITY, KS — Four-star point guard Anthony Brown Jr. has been putting up numbers in a big way for Team Durant at this year’s Nike EYBL circuit, ranking top-15 in scoring and top-five in assists.
“I take pride in getting others the ball,” Brown said. “When they go home and look at the stat sheet, they put a smile on their face, because they feel like they did something today. When one smiles, we all smile.”
The 6-foot-1 guard out of Archbishop Carroll is averaging 19.6 points, 5.0 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game this summer and only expects to continue improving.
“Just getting bigger,” Brown said of his summer goals. “This is my last AAU run. I’m starting to prepare for college now at this point, so you know, I got to get bigger to play at the highest level. You got to be bigger and strong, take all the bumps. And on the court, just to win Peach Jam. I feel like we got enough. We got the right tools and pieces, so now we just gotta execute and put the plan together.”
Being a smaller guard, Brown knows that to continue to climb the mountain, he must work just a little harder than everyone else.
“Just being more vocal and just picking up 94 feet,” he said. “I’m under 6-foot-3, so to get to the highest level, you got to be a pest on defense, especially as you see the playoffs. It’s intense and if you’re not the star man like Jalen Brunson that’s under 6-foot-3, then you got to pick up 94 feet, you know? Sometimes they might throw you in the fire, just for you to guard.”
Regardless of what Brown might be at the next level, he has already shown more than enough to impress college programs. During the high school season, Brown had coaches from George Mason, Georgetown, Georgia, Memphis, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Providence, Tennessee, VCU and Villanova in to see him.
Over the summer, coaches from Maryland, Memphis, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State and Villanova have come in to watch Brown. While he has not been on any official visits yet, he has attended games at Maryland. He doesn’t have any scheduled visits now, but is planning on visiting Maryland, Memphis, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, VCU and Villanova.
Here is how he broke down his recruitment process thus far:
Maryland: “Coach Buzz [Williams], coming from a good school to another good program, I can’t wait to see what he does. He loves scrappy guards who defend, who’s really an offensive presence. So, you know, playing with a coach like that, who gets players to the next level, it’s major.”
Memphis: “You know that guard play. Last year I caught a couple of their games, they had a good one. I think it was in Hawaii, I believe, or whatever classic that game was. There was just that guard play. They had a really good guard this year. A couple of good guards. Coach Penny [Hardaway], he has a guard-heavy school. Coach Nolan [Smith], he loves guards who can do it all. Guards who score, assist. So you know that’ll always be in consideration.”
Mississippi State: “Everybody knows about Mississippi State. Coach [Chris] Jans, coach [Patrice] Days, they had a great guard. I feel like he was one of the best guards. He was undersized, but he made his presence felt on the court and on defense.”
Oklahoma State: “They had a tremendous run at the end of the year. The guard play was amazing. High ball screen, transmission ball screen, that’s guard heaven. When you’ve got wings and they can go get it, you can turn downhill and make a play.”
VCU: “The coach from Bryant [Phil Martelli Jr.]. He had a couple of guys that went to Bryant that I grew up watching, like Earl Timberlake. I feel like they changed the community and the basketball program at Bryant. Now at VCU, bigger stage. I feel like they’re bringing in guys that really could get it done, like Ahmad Nowell, Tyrell Ward, guys like that. So that’s major. That’s not far from home. So, staying close to home.”
Villanova: “Just how they play. They had a lot of pro guys, a lot of guys that go there from the DMV. And I know coach [Kevin] Willard is new to the program, but what he did at Maryland was tremendous. He turned the program around, [were a] nationally ranked team most of the year. They were in March Madness for a couple of big games. Things like that, especially [when] they’re not that far away from home. I got a big crowd, big family, so you know having them there at home games would be tremendous.”
Brown plans to make an announcement on his X.com account once he has a final list of schools in consideration.
Brown Jr. is the No. 11-ranked point guard in the 2026 class, per ESPN. His favorite NBA player is Anthony Edwards.
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