UConn’s Brown enters transfer portal
Javonte Brown only played a grand total of four minutes over UConn’s first six games this season, but that’s not the reason he has decided to transfer from the school.
Brown, the 7-foot freshman from Toronto, cited the departure of assistant coach Kenya Hunter as the reason why he’s leaving.
Hunter left UConn on Aug. 23 to take the job of co-associate head coach a Indiana. Brown told Hearst Connecticut Media that he considered transferring at the time of Hunter’s departure, but “I put it off for a little while to see how I would adjust to him not being there.”
Brown, a four-star prospect out of Thornlea Secondary School in Thornhill, Ontario, saw brief action in just two games this season. He played three minutes at the end of the Huskies’ season-opening win over Central Connecticut State, scoring four points, and saw a minute of action in UConn’s Dec. 30 win over DePaul.
The lack of playing time “was pretty disappointing, but it was expected, due to the fact that I was there to develop and learn behind (Isaiah) Whaley and ( Josh) Carlton and those guys. It was disappointing, but I knew what I was getting into.”
Brown, who was driving back to Canada on Friday afternoon, added that his brief time at UConn was “a very good experience,” and he had no hard feelings against Dan Hurley and his staff.
Brown, who just turned 18 in September, arrived on campus this summer a bit later than most of his teammates due to issues as an international student.
Back in October, Hurley described Brown as “a piece of clay. A legit 7-footer with tremendous upside, really, really nice skill set. Just got to figure out how to maneuver his body. He’s an 18-year-old, 7-foot, 265pound puppy who is gonna be special. Right now, he’s got to sort things out physically, and figure out the intensity level of practice and everything a freshman’s got to do that way. But, big-time potential, very high ceiling, and unlike a lot of big guys, he loves to play. He plays with a competitiveness. He doesn’t play basketball because he’s tall, which a lot of tall guys only play basketball because somebody makes them play, because they’re tall. He plays basketball because he loves to play, and it shows up on the floor.”
Now, that love of basketball will have to show up on a floor other than Gampel Pavilion. Brown said he has no idea where he’ll end up, but intends to play next season. He noted that Indiana could be one of many possibilities.