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, who spearheaded Brown’s recruitment, left UConn on Aug. 23 to take the job of co-associate head coach a Indiana. Brown told Hearst Connecticut Media on Friday 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.

According to Brown, 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.

Asked about Brown’s decision on Friday evening, Hurley said: “It happened very suddenly. I would say that wasn’t something we thought was pending. But I understand the culture of college basketball, and what’s to come with the new transfer rules that are going to be in place.”

“It’s not something I’ve dealt with, personally. I think I go back to 2015 or 2016 when a guy that I personally recruited, or my staff, has left me. Obviously, I’ve had transfers like Sid (Wilson) and Alterique (Gilbert), who are guys that I inherited. But it’s a pretty rare thing that a player that I recruited has left me. You feel like you didn’t do a good enough job, that somebody didn’t want to stay with you and stick it out. But, I also understand the culture of our sport.”

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. It wasn’t long after his arrival that Hunter left for Indiana.

Hunter stayed on

Brown’s recruitment while Hurley was sidelined in the fall of 2019 after undergoing neck surgery. Then, an undisclosed medical issue forced Hunter to take a leave of absence that November.

“If Hunter was out, then Hurley was putting 100percent to get me to commit,” Brown told Hearst Connecticut Media in January, 2020. “And if Hurley was out, Kenya was putting in 100 percent for me to commit. And it worked.”

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.