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The Daily Times' boys basketball blog

Monday, July 5, 2010

PENN WOOD'S AARON BROWN MAKES HIS DECISION, COMMITS TO WEST VIRGINIA

Now, it's official.

A couple days after a premature report hit the Web, announcing his college destination, Penn Wood's Aaron Brown has his mind made up: He's headed to West Virginia University.

Brown had kicked around a number of notable Division I offers, before the Daily Times' reigning Player of the Year decided upon the Mountaineers. His second choice: Temple. The other schools that had a shot to land the rising senior: Saint Joseph's, Florida and Rutgers.

When asked about West Virginia's recent pedigree of landing the nation's best players, Brown said it meant "a lot to me."

"It means that if they're the best, you're going to have to be the best to play with them," said Brown, a 6-5, 205-pound guard-forward (who plays like he's at least three inches taller.) "It means that I'm going to have to be at my best to play there."

Brown said he thinks he's one of "Coach Huggy's type of players," referring to West Virginia coach Bobby Huggins.

The decision wasn't without strife, however. Brown said he really considered Temple before choosing WVU. Temple coach Fran Dunphy was a fixture at Penn Wood's games throughout the District One and PIAA Class AAAA playoffs. Huggins - by this reporter's count - was seen at only one.

"It was a toss-up," said Clyde Jones, Brown's coach at Penn Wood. "I think the challenge of being away from home and playing in the Big East Conference did it for him. He wanted to be close to home because of the support of his family and playing for one of the best coaches (Dunphy) in the area, but I think the personal challenge Coach Huggins' extended to Aaron outweighed all of that."

For more on Brown's college choice, pick up Tuesday's edition of the Daily Times.

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Saturday, July 3, 2010

REPORT ON PENN WOOD'S BROWN "UNTRUE"

Penn Wood's Aaron Brown, a rising senior, is not headed to West Virginia University. At least not yet.

The reigning Daily Times' boys basketball Player of the Year still considers the school among his top college destinations. But, according to his high school coach, Brown has not given any college a commitment.

A report published Saturday spread across the Web quicker than wild-fire, declaring that Brown had given West Virginia a verbal commitment. Penn Wood coach Clyde Jones confirmed to the Daily Times moments ago that the report is "a rumor" and that it "is untrue. Aaron has not committed to West Virginia."

Jones said he got the word directly from Brown's family, so you know it's coming from a qualified source.

A 6-5, 205-pound combo guard, Brown has offers from West Virginia, Temple, Saint Joseph's, Maryland, Drexel, La Salle, Rice and Richmond. It's believed Brown has narrowed the field to two suitors and that a decision could be coming soon. But, as was written above, he hasn't done so just yet.

An all-everything (all-state, all-league, all-county) during his junior year, Brown ranked second in Delco with 18.7 points per game, while also averaging 6.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals and shooting 55 percent from the floor. He helped Penn Wood crack the USA Today top 25 poll twice while advancing it to the PIAA Class AAAA championship game in back-to-back seasons. (The Patriots won it all in 2008, but fell to Plymouth Whitemarsh in 2009.)

As you can see, the posts onGettin' Schooled have been few and far between since Brown's Patriots lost at State College back in the spring. But stay close to the blog for the latest on high school news and notes over the summer. The posts will be more frequent, I can assure you.

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