J'Covan Brown to Enter NBA Draft

Junior J'Covan Brown will forgo his senior season at the University of Texas in order to enter the NBA Draft. Brown confirmed his decision Monday morning with the following statement: "I want to thank the fans and everyone at The University of Texas for their support over the last 3 years. I’m not sure anyone really knows how much I love UT. It was always my dream to be a Longhorn, and I have lived that dream and become a better person. There were a lot of reasons to come back to school next year, most importantly getting my degree and being around my teammates every day. But the time has come for me to pursue a career in professional basketball and take care of my daughter, Jordyn. This has been a difficult decision, but it is the best decision for myself and my family. I’ll continue to go to class and complete the spring semester here at Texas, and I will come back to finish my degree in the future."

J'Covan Brown was the undisputed leader of the 2011-12 Longhorns team, utilizing his first year as a full-time starter to increase his scoring average from 10.4 points per game in 2010-11 to a Big12 Conference-leading 20.1 points per game in 2011-12. Brown is a great pure shooter, who routinely hits over 85% of his free throws. He is also adept at driving to the basket and thus creating scoring opportunities for both himself and his teammates. But most importantly, J'Covan is a player who is fearless when it comes to guiding his team through clutch situations. I would compare Brown's NBA prospects to those of current Oklahoma City Thunder guard James Hardin, who by design comes off of the bench to be the sprarkplug his team needs to close out tightly-contested victories.

As for the Longhorns moving forward, Brown's departure ensures that next year's team will be comprised of sophomores and freshmen only. It was quite a relief to hear that point guard Myck Kabongo will return for his sophomore season. And it was also nice to see that incoming freshman Cameron Ridley put up 12 points and 9 rebounds in the McDonald's All-American game last week. Coach Rick Barnes will once again have his work cut out for him managing such a young team, but with all the talent he'll have on his roster, the sky is the limit. 

Anyway, thank you, J'Covan Brown for an exciting 3 years of play at the University of Texas. And good luck with your professional career. The Longhorns nation will forever be pulling for you.