Chris Brown, a 6-foot-7 forward from Polk Community College, has signed a national letter of intent to play basketball at UTC, head coach Jeff Lebo announced Wednesday.
Brown, a native of Hopkins, S.C., averaged 16.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game for the Winter Haven, Fla., school last year. He was tops on the team in blocked shots and ranked second in assists and steals. Brown led Polk to the Suncoast Conference Championship and was an All-Suncoast Conference Team honoree.
"Chris Brown's best basketball is in front of him," Lebo said. "He is what
we are looking for in an athlete. We will expect him to do a little bit of
everything on the court."
Brown led Polk to a state runners-up position in the 2003 Florida Community
College Athletic Association tournament and was named to the All-Tournament Team.
Following his senior season at Lower Richland High School, he was selected
the Class 4A Player of the Year by The State newspaper in Columbia, S.C.
He helped LRHS to a state championship as a junior.
Brown is the fourth signee for the Mocs in this recruiting class. The
other three, Mindaugas Katelynas of the College of Eastern Utah, Casey Long of 71st High School in Fayetteville, N.C., and Matt Malone of Greeneville High School in Greeneville, Tenn., signed with UTC in the early period.
"We feel like we were able to address all of our needs with this recruiting
class," Lebo said. "We managed to bring in some size as we brought in a
lot of inside players, and we filled a guard position with Casey Long."
UTC MEN'S BASKETBALL SIGNEES
Chris Brown, 6-7, Forward, Hopkins, S.C. (Polk CC)
Mindaugas Katelynas, 6-9, Forward, Alytus, Lithuania (College of Eastern Utah) Casey Long, 6-2, Guard, Fayetteville, N.C. (71st HS)
Matt Malone, 6-10, Center, Greeneville, Tenn. (Greeneville HS)
2002-03 UTC MEN'S BASKETBALL SIGNEES
CHRIS BROWN
Forward, 6-7, 195
Hopkins, S.C.
Polk Community College/Lower Richland High School
Led Polk Community College to the Suncoast Conference Championship last
season . Elected to the All-Suncoast Conference Team . Averaged 16.8 points
and 6.8 rebounds per game as a sophomore . Team leader in blocked shots . Ranked second at Polk in assists and steals . Squad was the 2003 state runners-up in the Florida Community College Athletic Association tournament . Member of the All-Tournament Team . Chosen Most Valuable Player of the
Day's Inn Holiday Tournament and led PCC to the tournament title . Earned
FCCAA All-Freshman Team accolades in 2001-02 . Was Honorable Mention
All-Suncoast Conference . Teammate Marcus Neal signed with Nebraska . Named Class 4A Area Player of the Year by The State newspaper in Columbia, S.C., after senior prep season . Led Lower Richland High School to the state championship his junior year . An All-State and All-Region honoree . Played in the South Carolina-North Carolina All-Star Game . Picked up all-tournament honors at the Columbia Tip Off Tournament and the Nike Peach State Holiday Classic . Winner of the Columbia Urban League Certificate of
Excellence Award in Athletics . Presented school's Senior Award . Listed on the Diamond All-Academic Team . Voted top player at the Nike Jamboree in San Diego, Calif., in 2000 . Claimed Richland County School District One Superintendent's Award.
MINDAUGAS KATELYNAS
Forward, 6-9, 215
Alytus, Lithuania
College of Eastern Utah
Averaged 10.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game as a sophomore in 2002-03 .
Rebound average ranked seventh in the region for Price, Utah, school .
Connected on 66.7 percent of his field goal attempts to rank second in the region . Also made 50 percent of his three-point field goal attempts . Top game for Golden Eagles was a 28-point, 18-rebound effort against Treasure Valley College . Coached at Eastern Utah by Bryan Zollinger . An honor roll student . Earned academic scholarship after freshman year . Signed with UTC in the early signing period in 2002.
CASEY LONG
Guard, 6-2, 185
Fayetteville, N.C.
71st High School
Averaged 21.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game as a senior in 2002-03 . Connected on 40 percent of his three-point field goal attempts
and 75 percent of free throw attempts . Conference Player of the Year . Played combo guard . Earned Most Valuable Player accolades at the Holiday Classic tournament . Led Falcons to a 23-6 record and the state playoffs . Team lost to Rocky Mount in the sectional finals . Set career high of 36 points his senior year . Voted team captain . Will play in North Carolina's East-West All-Star Game in Greensboro, N.C., in July . Falcons went 27-3 his junior season and advanced to the state championship game . Lost to Reynolds in the finals . Averaged 14.8 points per game as a junior . Also averaged 5.0 assists and 3.3 rebounds . Never lost a home game in three years with the Falcons . Coached at 71st High School by Bernie Poole . Also considered the College of Charleston and Tulane . Signed with UTC in the
early signing period in 2002.
MATT MALONE
Center, 6-10, 255
From Greeneville, Tenn.
Greeneville High School
Averaged 17.1 points and 8.3 rebounds per game in 2002-03 . Led Green
Devils to a 20-4 overall record and the state tournament semifinals . Also
averaged 5.1 assists and 3.0 blocked shots per game . Earned Conference
Player of the Year Award as a senior . Posted best free throw percentage on the team (.784) . Named best defensive player at GHS . Also won team's assist and rebounding award . Voted County Player of the Year and All-Upper East Tennessee last season . Top game in 2003 came against Science Hill High School . Turned in 31 points, 17 rebounds, five blocks and went a perfect 13-for-13 from the free throw line . Averaged 14.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.2 blocks as a junior . Won All-Conference, All-Region, All-County and All-District Tournament accolades in 2002 and 2003 . Green Devils also advanced to the state tournament in 2001 and went
28-7 . Notched a career record of 84-18 at GHS . Coached at Greeneville by
Bill Duncan . Was one of 200 prepsters in 2002 to get an invitation to the NIKE Camp in Indianapolis, Ind. . Played with the Tennessee Travelers AAU team . Also considered Kent State, Tennessee Tech and UAB . Signed with UTC in the early signing period in 2002.