Daniel (Dee) Brown

6/18: "Illinois took a step toward securing the future of its backcourt last weekend. Proviso East PG Dee Brown walked up to Bill Self at Illinois Team Camp, caught the coach by surprise and ended his recruitment right on the spot. Previously, Brown had told BlueChipHoops that Illinois was his leader. Well, not anymore. He’s upgraded the Illini from leader status to a full-blown commitment.
“It just felt like they [Illinois] were a family and it was a good situation for me so I committed,” Brown told BlueChipHoops. Brown said he caught the Illinois coaches off guard by walking up to coach Self in the middle of camp and telling him he was coming. “They were happy. They were kind of shocked that I committed early. They really didn’t put any pressure on me at all. I just told them that I’m coming and they thought I was joking at first. I think I can immediately be a factor and come in and play.” - BlueChip Hoops

6/14: "Dee Brown from Maywood (Proviso East) IL was phenomenal at the Chicago Adidas Classic. There is no doubt that Bill Self and Illinois are the leaders for Brown, but watch out for Michigan State and Michigan." - AllStar Report

6/11: "Proviso East point guard Dee Brown says he has a favorite. “I’ve got to say Illinois is the leader,” Brown said. “The coaching staff has been nice and I know a lot of people who go to that school. Michigan State is great, though.” Essentially, Illinois narrowly leads the Spartans followed by Michigan and Iowa State. “Once I get my ACT scores back that I just took on Saturday maybe [I’ll decide] in a month or so.” Illinois is looking to replace Frankie Williams and Brown is probably the guy the Illini have the best shot at. When he plays strictly the point and runs the team he has a resemblance to Aaron Miles but with more offense." - BlueChip Hoops

6/8: "Proviso East High (Ill.) point guard Dee Brown wants to commit to a school in the fall, and he’s down to three schools: Illinois, Michigan and Michigan State. Brown’s weakness is off-the-ball defense, but he makes up for it with a deadly outside shot and an accurate mid-range jumper. He says he’ll take all of his visits before making his decision. “When Tommy Amaker came in the picture, that’s what made me pick Michigan as one of the schools I’m considering,” says the 6-foot, 170-pound point guard." - School Sports (4 to 2)

5/30: "Illinois is believed to be the heavy favorite for 6'0 Jr Dee Brown from Maywood (Proviso East) IL, but he still is mentioning CINCINNATI, Marquette, DePaul, Michigan State, and Iowa State." - HoopScoop

5/29: "The self-assured floor general is a 6-0 PG from Maywood (IL) Proviso East. The Spiece hero turned in another quality performance at the TOC. A play-maker with scoring tools. Averaged 21.2 points an outing in the Triangle." - PrepStars

5/29: "Despite turning the ball over more than he usually does, Dee averaged 21.2 points per game. He scored 34 points, including five three-pointers in a quarterfinal win over the Tim Thomas Playaz, and showed exceptional quickness throughout the tournament. At the defensive end he stole the ball a handful of times which led to easy points at the other end." - AllStar Report

5/28: "His best performance of the spring came at the Spiece event, but he was all-tournament here and guided the Gold to the semifinals while averaging 21.2 points in Chapel Hill. He’s one of those guys who has to have the ball in his hands and when he does, this ultra-quick guard makes plays. He reminds me of Aaron Miles but is more of scorer from the point." - BlueChip Hoops

5/21: "This sub-six-foot point guard is one of the best in the nation. The problem is, few people have recognized him for his talents as he rumbles toward the summer recruiting period. While the recruiting analysts might be a little slow in catching on, many high-major programs have already gotten a jump in recruiting him. Illinois has already offered and so have a number of other schools. Programs like Marquette, Michigan, CINCINNATI, Michigan State and Iowa State are already making hard pushes to try and land him. However, Brown won’t be committing anytime soon. "There’s a lot of benefits [from not committing early]," Brown said. "You can go into the season and get a better feel for the college. Then again, when you start playing well, the big schools you really want to go to come into effect." Fortunately for Brown, he’s already attracting those big-time schools. At the recent Spiece event, Brown was awesome and he wasn’t even playing at full speed. "I’m really happy with my play. I am doing well and playing through injuries. I can barely bend my [non-shooting] elbow, my heel hurts and I have lower back pains. It’s hard to play with those injuries but I’ve been trying to rest, take two days off and play again." Brown will be in North Carolina for the Tournament of Champions. At that event, he’ll meet up with the Robersons, Feltons and Dockerys of the basketball world and that just what he wants. "It seems like every tournament I go to, I score 40 or 50 on someone but it’s never against the person I want. All these guys who are supposed to be No. 1 in the nation, I love playing against them." Don’t mistake Brown’s eagerness for cockiness. He has a good relationship with Dockery and respects his game. "We grew up playing together. We were on the same AAU team. Once he got to high school, he just blew up and I took a back seat. I don’t try and compete with him; we just play. He’ll always be the man. But, I really feel like I’ve caught him. At one point, he was a way better ballplayer than I was but I’ve raised my game. I hope Anthony Roberson will be there too. I love playing against those guys. I can never, never back down to anyone." For Brown, playing in the Dean Dome will be exciting, but don’t think the bright lights will daze him. He’s focused and ready to take his seat at the head of the table." - BlueChipHoops

5/18: "We feel Dee is a McDonald's All-American and could have been the best player in this tournament after Tournament MVP Jeff Horner. Nobody in our opinion is quicker from baseline-to-baseline. Excellent long-range shooter who just needs some more disciplined shot selection at times. Excellent penetrating skills in traffic, and he rarely turns the ball over in transition, despite playing at a frantic pace. Defensively, he is all over the ball and is a constant annoyance to opponents. Illinois, CINCINNATI, and Michigan State are the leaders right now." - All Star Report

5/9: #21 Junior. "Ultra-quick and he takes great care of the basketball. He's a gamer with a great stroke and despite his size he's an outstanding finisher in traffic." - Sporting News

5/7: "Dee Brown, PG, Proviso East: He's a Top 25 player at worst. Connected on 8-13 trey's against Jimmy McKinney's team. He's the best point guard not named Felton, Roberson or Dockery. Unbelievably quick. Illinois, Michigan State and Cincinnati are on him hard." - Dave Telep, BlueChipHoops.com (3 to 4)

5/7: "This year the most outstanding player was 6'0 Jr Dee Brown from Maywood (Proviso East) IL, who now has to be ranked among the top 10 or 15 juniors by the HOOP SCOOP. Brown simply picked up where he left off when we saw him two weeks ago in the Kentucky Hoopstars Classic in Louisville, KY. He also had the best individual performance of the entire tournament when he had six 3-pointers and 20 points against St. Louis Gameface in a 8AM round of 16 game on Saturday morning. And that was just in the first quarter, as Brown finished with 38 points for the game. However, he didn't put up big numbers at the expense of his teammates. Brown is a streaky shooter, but he's also jet-quick, makes good decisions, and has excellent handling and passing skills." - Hoop Scoop (Spiece Notes)

5/7: "Although he bears the nickname of another NBA guard -- Dee -- Daniel Brown wears No. 11 on his uniform to proclaim Isiah Thomas as the model of the basketball player and man he wishes to become. "Not that I play like him," Brown said, "but I want to live up to the kind of person he is." With his team undermanned in the opening game of pool play because its big men had other Friday commitments -- and playing with injuries to his elbow and heel -- Brown opposed Iowa-bound Jeff Horner and Northern Iowa recruit Ben Jacobson and topped the 40-point mark.

More important than his production was the manner in which he scored. Brown advances the basketball with the kind of speed we've seen before from Jacque Vaughn but few others. (Allen Iverson is in another class altogether.) Brown finishes at the rim with the sort of clever toughness that Earl Watson delivered as a UCLA senior -- but with the explosive athleticism Watson never enjoyed. Brown can drive the ball into the lane and score on pull-ups. He has legitimate 3-point range, although he must cure a tendency to tilt to the left on his jumper whenever he tires.

Most impressive, though, is his understanding of his impact on opposing defenses. He senses the opportunities he creates with his strength and speed, the passing angles that open when he forces a defense to react. He is not a point guard who only sees the court well when he surveys the defense from the top of the key. Brown is just as likely to create an open shot for a shooter on the right wing by driving the left baseline, and he'll find that player with a sizzling but catchable pass. "I don't really think," Brown said. "I just worry about getting to the hole and somehow creating a play. I just see the court. It comes from a lot of practice -- going to the park, going into a game with all different color jerseys and having to know which are your teammates."

Brown had more help when power forward Marcus White of Whitney Young High arrived for Saturday afternoon's game. In that one-sided victory over the Randolph Boys club of Wisconsin, Brown executed one of his most impressive plays without touching the ball. Illinois Gold guard Jason Smith picked up a loose ball near the free-throw line, and Brown immediately broke toward the goal in an attempt to generate a fast break. There was no passing angle for a quick outlet, so Smith chose to advance the ball. White also ran into the break, choosing the same right-side lane as Brown, but a couple steps behind. When a defender picked up Brown as he reached the foul line, he made a crucial decision. Brown sacrificed himself by curling across the lane and drawing the defender toward the left corner. That left White open for a lob pass from Smith that was dunked easily -- and dramatically. "I have to work on my shooting and playing defensively off the ball," Brown said. "I'm going to work. If you want to become something, that's the way. To try to make a life out of this, I have to put my all into it." - DeCourcy

5/6: "Saw Dee Brown play several times this weekend and was very impressed, despite the fact that he is nursing some sort of foot or leg injury. He led his Illinois Gold team to the final eight of the Spiece tourney today. In the quarters he ran out of gas and got outplayed but another top point prospect, Dedrick Finn of the Warrick County AAU team. I talked with scout Dave Telep about Brown and he really likes him. Likes him so much he thinks he is the best point guard in the country. Doesn't understand why Dockery seems to get more hype." - Peegs

5/5: "Brown is a superlative ball handler who is quick on quick. Reminds me some of Jason Gardner. Little bit bigger than Jason. I believe he is pretty open on schools right now." - Peegs, Spiece Report

4/29: Was listed as one of the best Juniors in the MidWest. - Midwest Hoops

1. Anthony Roberson 6'2 Saginaw, MI
4. Sean Dockery 6'2 Chicago, IL
7. Daniel Brown 6'0 Maywood, IL
13. Chris Hunter 6'10 Gary, IN
15. Matt Trannon 6'6 Flint, MI
17. Alex Carmona 6'4 Troy, OH
22. Robert Hite 6'1 Cincinnati, OH
23. Chris Quinn 6'0 Dublin, OH
24. Greg Brown 6'1 Milwaukee, WI

4/21: "...the best player in the entire tournament (2001 Kentucky Hoopstars Classic) might have been 6'0 Jr Dee Brown from Maywood (Proviso East) IL. Not only did Brown impressive everybody with his speed and quickness, ball handling and passing skills, and ability to shoot the three, but he also has the savvy and natural talent to push 6'2 Jr Sean Dockery from Chicago (Julian) IL as the #1 player in the Windy City next year. He also seemed like a great kid when we got a list of schools from him, which included Illinois, Cincinnati, Michigan State, Iowa State, Iowa, and Seton Hall." - HoopScoop

4/17: "...Cincinnati is in good shape with Dee Brown right now." - AllStar Report

4/13: "We still believe Illinois is the leader for Brown, but we think the school you really have to watch out for now is Cincinnati. The Bearcats are trying to sell both Brown and Dockery on the "two-head monster" point guard attack, which could be an effective recruiting tool if they can get both players to buy into it." - AllStar Report/Bullseye

4/11: "Two highly regarded underclassmen in this region are 6-2 junior Rob Hite of Cincinnati Winton Woods and 5-10 junior Daniel (Dee) Brown of Maywood (Ill.) Proviso East." - Brick O., CNNSI

4/10: "UC is also in great shape with National Top 20 players Guards Dee Brown and Sean Dockery both from Illinois. They both like UC a lot and are looking at UC as a package deal!" - Lance McAllister, WCKY Radio (2 to 3)

4/7: "Named Second Team, All State
With blistering quickness, Dee averaged 19 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds and 5 steals. With the ball in his hands, he is the closest thing to a one man press-break as he was All-tournament at the Proviso West Holiday Tournament. Also having a sound jump shot that extends to the 3-point line, Brown is one of the most highly sought after juniors in Illinois." - HS Elite

4/3/01: "D. Brown may be the best POINT GUARD in the Midwest. While you can't take anything away from the likes of Anthony Roberson & Sean Dockery because both are great players, you have to give Brown his credit too. While Roberson can score 30 just about any time he wants to, and Dockery is just a man on the court, who is the best at running a team? When you think of the job description of a Point Guard, (run the team), (leadership), (get others involved), (be a coach on the floor), Brown may fit the bill the best. Brown is an amazing ball handler who is blessed with quickness only seen in "Road Runner" cartoons or highlights from "The Flash." He has the ability to get anywhere on the floor with his dribble and that makes things difficult for the opposing team. Brown also has a deadly outside shot that can really make him impossible to guard because you can't get to close to him or he will blow right by you. D. Brown is currently being recruited by Illinois, Depaul, Missouri, Michigan State, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Miami-FL, and Marquette." - MidWest Hoops

3/1: selected to All-City team. One of twenty players - Chicago Sun Times

http://www.highschoolelite.com/2002/brown.html

2/8: "Ultra quick player is the "One Man Fastbreak." He is super in the open court and may be the best passer of the bunch. Can really break down a defense and create. In the open court he is a blur. Tops on the list of Depaul, Michigan State, Illinois, Duke, Missouri & Others" - MidWest Hoops

1/28/01: "Proviso East Junior PG Dee Brown scored 29 points as the Pirates defeated Downers Grove South 91-80. Brandon Dillard had 33 points for Downers South. The 5'11 Brown is currently being recruited by Depaul, Illinois, Michigan State, Missouri, and No. Carolina." - MidWest Hoops

1/01: "Skinny (158 lbs) point guard from the Chicago area that is already receiving lots of Big Ten interest. So far this season is averaging 16 ppg, 8 apg and 7 rbg. Known as a very pesky defender. Ultra quick and does have a fluid jumper although he is not a big scorer. Creative on drives to the basket. Not a Big Ten body but more than makes up for it with his defense and drive and dish ability. Reportedly a good student. Illinois and DePaul are heavily involved with Indiana, Michigan State and Iowa also showing interest. Illinois is making him a top priority so they will be hard to beat." - Peegs.com

1/3/01: Listed as the best 14th PG in the USA, in the 2002 class. - Ohio Preps

12/26/00: "Before he started high school, Brown was receiving rave reviews. And as a freshman, he flashed some of his potential, including a game-winning runner in the lane against New Trier in the Proviso West tournament. But because he wasn't a gunner or showboat, other players in the Class of 2002 started to receive more accolades; players such as point guard Sean Dockery and power forward Michael Thompson. "Dockery is an excellent player," Brown said. "We haven't played against each other in a long time. Sean and I do it on both sides of the ball. Unlike a lot of point guards, we'll stick it on defense." Flash forward two years. Brown didn't need to hit a game-winning jumper this time around. But in the Proviso West Tournament, Proviso East defeated Larkin, 79-18. And as usual, Brown wasn't flashy or a showboat, just the consummate floor general. Brown finished with 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting, five rebounds and four assists in 18 minutes of action. "He's improved immensely in the last two years," said Proviso East coach Andrew Johnson. "He was the first freshman to start in Proviso East history. He's not going to score a lot, but he's not afraid to take the big shot." With great quickness and anticipation, Brown's a pest on defense and gets great penetration on offense. And if you give him room, he'll hit the jumper when needed. But don't expect any kind of Allen Iverson or Stephon Marbury high-scoring efforts. "He's great in the classroom and he'll do anything to win," Johnson said. Already, DePaul, Illinois, Michigan State, Indiana and Iowa have positioned themselves well. Brown also indicated that he'd like to hear from Florida and Florida State. "Any school would want to recruit him," Johnson said. Still new to the recruiting game, Brown realizes he's being watched. "That motivates me to do well in class and on the court," Brown said. "I love it when coaches come to see me play. Today, I saw DePaul coach Pat Kennedy sitting in the front row, and Illinois assistant coach Rob Judson is here." - FoxSports

12/21: "is a 5'11 inch Point Guard from Proviso East H.S in the Chicago area. He is ranked among the top 35 players in the country by Prep Spotlight Magazine and he just keeps getting better and better. Brown is the quickest player in the H.S ranks I may have ever seen. No one can stay in front of him on defense and he is called "The One Man Fast Break" by my partner John Stovall. Brown is a true Point Guard who can run the show like a coach, and can also create for himself if the play breaks down. While Anthony Roberson is the most deadly offensive PG in the Midwest, Brown is the best in the open court because of his quickness and ball handling ability. He has great basketball instincts and is a gym rat. He just loves to play the game. He has drawn early interest from several bigtime programs and is being recruited by Depaul, Illinois, Michigan State, Missouri, Cincinnati, & Marquette." - MidWest Hoops

5/7/00: "Daniel Brown, from Proviso East in Maywood, played superb at the point guard spot directing the offense, as he was in control the whole game." - Speice Tourney notes, High School Elite