PEORIA, Ill. -- Taylor Brown, a 6-foot-7 swingman from Dunwoody (Ga.) High School, became the fifth member of Bradley's 2008-09 incoming class when he signed a Bradley University financial aid agreement and was admitted by the University this week, seventh-year head coach Jim Les announced today.
“We are very excited to add a player of Taylor's caliber to our recruiting class,” said Les. “We think he has tremendous potential to help our basketball program.”
Brown becomes the tallest player in Bradley's five-man incoming class, following November signees Eddren McCain (5-foot-11 guard from Laplace, La.) and Chris Roberts (6-foot-4 guard from Fort Worth, Texas) and spring additions Dodie Dunson (6-foot-3 guard from Bloomington, Ill.) and Darian Norris (5-foot-11 guard from Las Vegas, Nev.). The first four recruits are all on campus for Bradley's second summer session, but Brown will not join the fold until reporting for the 2008 Fall Semester next month.
The son of former NBA and European center Ricky Brown, Taylor Brown was an initial NCAA qualifier when he graduated from Dunwoody H.S. in 2007, but he opted for the junior college route for more seasoning before pursuing Division I offers. He suffered a preseason injury at Belvill State (Ala.) Community College last fall, however, and returned home for the spring semester to train with his father. He will have four years to complete his four seasons of eligibility at Bradley.
“I decided to redshirt him and train him here at home,” Ricky Brown told the Peoria Journal Star when Taylor Brown committed to the Braves earlier this month. “I know talent when I see it, and he's made a tremendous turnaround from last year to this (adding an inch and 10 pounds). He has nothing but upside. He reminds me of a Scottie Pippen type who plays more like a (power forward) -- a slasher who rebounds and blocks shots well.”
Selected by Golden State in the first round of the 1980 NBA Draft, Ricky Brown played five years in the NBA with the Warriors and Atlanta, followed by five more years each in Italy and Spain. He was part of three Euroleague championships in his 10 seasons overseas. He now is a co-owner of the Augusta (Ga.) Groove in the startup Premier Basketball League.
Bradley head coach Jim Les offered Taylor Brown a scholarship after watching him play in an event for high school and junior college players this past weekend in Jonesboro.
“I played pretty good,” Taylor Brown told the Peoria Journal Star. “And I liked that Coach Les played in the NBA. It shows he has what it takes and knows what it takes to get there. Bradley's been on me pretty good, and I really like their style of play. Their spread offense and open-court style is perfect for me being pretty athletic.”
Bradley's five-man recruiting class will be added to a group of seven lettermen from its 2007-08 team that finished 21-17 and advanced to the best-of-three championship series in the inaugural College Basketball Invitational postseason tournament. The Braves have won at least 21 games in each of the last three seasons and are tied for eighth nationally with seven postseason wins since 2006.
