CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It wouldn’t be hyperbolic to name Milan Brown essentially the most attention-grabbing rookie within the ACC.
Think about this: The native of Baltimore, Maryland scored greater than 2,000 factors for Mercy Excessive College and had a profession so prolific there that she had her jersey retired whereas additionally netting a 4.1 GPA within the classroom.
She’s additionally a printed writer, having written two books.
And Brown calls fellow Baltimore native Angel Reese a job mannequin, likens her personal recreation to Russell Westbrook’s, and stated Monday at ACC Tip-Off that she needs to be the Governor of Maryland by the point she’s 40. The present occupant of the Outdated Line State’s Governor’s Mansion, Wes Moore, has already tweeted about her.
And out of 33 Division I scholarship provides, Brown selected to embark on her collegiate profession at Wake Forest — a workforce that has gone 16-45 over the previous two seasons and has appeared within the NCAA Match simply as soon as since 1989.
So, why Wake Forest for this gifted athlete and sharp-minded pupil?
“I selected Wake Forest as a result of that they had precisely what I used to be searching for athletically, but in addition within the classroom,” Brown instructed SB Nation. “I thought of some Ivy Leagues, which have been actually excessive contenders, however I selected Wake as a result of we’re taking part in within the ACC — the most effective convention on the planet. It undoubtedly meant so much to me to play on that sort of stage, to get that form of notoriety, and to play in opposition to the most effective competitors on the planet.”
Brown broke the scoring file at Mercy by flattening three consecutive free throws in her closing collegiate recreation. The file had stood since 1988 and was beforehand held by Rosemary Kosiorek, who went on to earn All-American honors in a embellished profession at West Virginia.
In highschool, Brown scored a whole lot of factors on the charity stripe and plans to do the identical at Wake Forest. For the 5-foot-8 guard, changing her first collegiate And-1 is the factor she’s trying ahead to essentially the most about this season — driving inside, flattening a shot whereas being fouled after which calmly sinking the following free throw.
And Brown doesn’t simply sit up for bodily play; she embraces it.
“I’m searching for And-1s each time I’m within the paint,” Brown stated. “I’m not shying away from contact.”
It’s on this facet of her recreation that Brown compares herself to Westbrook — although, among the fearlessness and grit she performs with may come from idolizing Reese. Brown was in center faculty when Reese was a senior at Saint Frances Academy, and he or she by no means missed a recreation.
Westbrook, the 17-year NBA veteran and former MVP, is fifth amongst energetic NBA gamers in all-time free throw makes an attempt and garnered a status in his profession for an aggressive model of play. Whereas aiming to emulate him, Brown additionally wears the quantity zero on her jersey.
“Simply the depth we play with. He performs full steam forward,” Brown stated. “I play with a ton of ardour and I really like the sport.”
It’s not usually that coaches will deliver freshmen to media days earlier than they even play their first minute of school basketball. However the truth that fourth-year Wake head coach Megan Gebbia got here to Charlotte with Brown in-tow could also be a sign of how massive of a job she expects the rookie to play this season.
Ought to Brown have the identical affect as one other pint-sized guard from Baltimore who made the journey to Winston-Salem — Muggsy Bogues, who performed 14 years within the NBA and has his Wake jersey retired — she could possibly be a catalyst for reworking a program that has had a profitable file in ACC play simply as soon as in 44 seasons.
Together with piling up factors and victories, Brown needs to develop the Demon Deacons’ fanbase too.
“I’m trying ahead to taking part in on the Joel,” Brown stated. “We’re going to work actually exhausting to get dwelling crowd this 12 months.”
As tenacious as Brown is on the court docket, she could also be even a more durable employee off it.
She’s written a pair of books: “Stepping Into Historical past: A VR Journey” and “Girls Who Modified The World: A Digital Journey.” The previous is about Black historical past, whereas the latter is on essential historic ladies.
“I wrote it as a result of, in my metropolis, I really feel like a whole lot of youngsters don’t have illustration and aren’t conscious of how wealthy and nice the African American legacy has been,” Brown stated. “So, I form of wrote the e book to be a medium between these tales and people nice occasions that they did.”
At Wake Forest, she’s majoring in enterprise and minoring in political science with lofty objectives in thoughts.
“I need to be a politician,” Brown stated.
Earlier than she pursues politics, Brown needs to show Wake right into a winner. She’ll intention to do this by calming herself on each recreation day by listening to music by R&B artist Daniel Caesar earlier than turning up the depth when she steps on the court docket, the place she’ll relentlessly drive towards the basket regardless of who’s in entrance of her.
