Peach Jam: Brown has his National Breakout Moment
Young players have their national breakout moments at different times. For Courtney Brown Jr of East Ridge and Howard Pulley that moment came Friday afternoon.
Howard Pulley (MN) F Courtney Brown Jr. (@_Courtneybrown6): 22 PTS, 3 REB, 2 STL in a win over Phamily @PulleyHoops https://t.co/eCPABj5mTS
— The Circuit (@TheCircuit) July 14, 2017
Courtney Brown Jr, David Roddy, and Zeke Nnaji are 2019 forwards playing up on the Howard Pulley 17u team this EYBL season. All started the year on the bench together watching the veterans but quickly Roddy moved into the starting line-up as a double-figure scorer.
How? Roddy proved he could play consistently at both the small forward and power forward positions at this high level of play. And the spring double figure scoring average (or close to it) also proved it.
This June Zeke Nnaji had his key moment. The Panthers went to Wisconsin Badger Team Camp without their top names giving other players a chance to play in long stretches. Nnaji had a strong showing at the camp scoring as both an active off ball player and a face-up skilled four man.
What about Brown? His breakout moment came on the biggest stage of them all. This is not to say Brown hasn’t been a solid contributor. The 6-foot-6, 190 pound wing has impressed Prep Hoops with his defensive effort every time we’ve seen Howard Pulley play. Brown didn’t get many spring chances to score but he made 50 percent of his two attempts a game in the spring contests.
This morning in the Howard Pulley match-up with Team Phamily, Brown got his chance early, and made the most of it.
Brown was inserted with his team down 12-10 to Team Phamily and instantly Courtney made a slashing lay-up and a three. Brown’s scores were part of a 11-0 Panther run in the first half that changed the momentum of the game (for good). Brown’s momentum wasn’t done though. Far from it.
He scored twice more giving Courtney a four possession scoring run and instantly college coaches started looking for information on the East Ridge 2019 who averaged 19.5 points per game as a sophomore. While they were looking Brown kept scoring, and scoring, and scoring.
Soon the Panthers were up 15 points and Courtney Brown Jr had made 10 of 12 field goals including a pair of three-pointers for his game high 22 points. Brown is a long armed wing with an aggressive attack to the rim and an improving percentage perimeter shooting stroke that seems most comfortable in the corners.
Some of the elite schools in the nation were sitting courtside watching five star talents Tre Jones and Marvin Bagley III (both scored 18) but it was Courtney Brown Jr who stole the show.
That is what you call a breakout moment.