NOTES: As offers pile up, Centennial’s Troy Brown lives up to basketball hype
Troy Brown Jr.’s patience and ability to see two steps ahead on the basketball court have helped make him one of the nation’s top prospects.
The 6-foot-6-inch junior point guard for Centennial’s boys basketball team has used those same attributes during the recruiting process.
Brown, a five-star recruit with scholarship offers from several of the nation’s top programs, said last week he probably will wait until the Bulldogs’ season is finished before cutting his list to 10 schools.
“We’re in the middle of the season, so I haven’t really thought about anything,” Brown said. “I’m just really taking my time with it right now. I’m not really worried about it. I’ll try to work it out as long as I can, probably, to see where the best fit is, wherever I feel comfortable.”
Brown has averaged 20.0 points, 8.6 rebounds and 6.1 assists for the Bulldogs (12-2), who are ranked No. 2 in the Southern Nevada Coaches Poll. He was perfect in the second half Friday — 5-for-5 from the field, 7-for-7 from the free-throw line — and had 29 points in Centennial’s 76-73 come-from-behind win at No. 4 Durango.
Centennial hosts Legacy on Friday before facing Price (Calif.) on Saturday during the Battle Born Classic at Durango.
Brown is ranked as the No. 6 player in the class of 2017 by Scout.com, No. 8 by Rivals.com and No. 14 by ESPN’s Recruiting Nation. He was offered a scholarship by UNLV before the start of his freshman season at Centennial and has nearly 20 known offers.
“I know it’s going to start coming harder,” Brown said. “I understand being recruited right now is a big thing. Senior year, that’s when college coaches are really looking, and that’s coming toward it. Right now, I try to focus on this moment. When the time comes to make a decision, I’ll be ready.”
Brown made unofficial visits to Duke and Kansas — his sister Jada plays for the Jayhawks women’s basketball team — during his sophomore year, and he unofficially visited Arizona and California in the fall.
Boys basketball recruits are permitted by NCAA rules to make official visits starting Jan. 1 of their junior year.
“Eventually, I have to take some (official) visits some time,” Brown said, “because over the phone sounds good and stuff like that, but when you actually get to see it, you’ll realize where you want to go.”
McDONALD’S GAME NOMINEES — Ten local basketball players were nominated to play in the 2016 McDonald’s All American games.
Findlay Prep’s Carlos Johnson and Skylar Mays were nominated for the boys game, along with Palo Verde’s Taylor Miller, Bishop Gorman’s Zach Collins and Desert Oasis’ Aamondae Coleman.
Bishop Gorman’s Megan Jacobs and Madison Washington, Centennial’s Bailey Thomas and Tanjanae Wells, and Liberty’s Taylor Turney were nominated on the girls side.
The final rosters (24 boys and 24 girls) will be announced Sunday on ESPNU. The McDonald’s All American games take place March 30 at the United Center in Chicago.
THOMPSON MEMORIAL WALK — Green Valley will host a Memorial Mile Walk at 10 a.m. Jan. 23 to honor former Gators cross country and track and field coach Blaine Thompson.
The event will raise money for the Blaine Thompson Scholarship Fund at the school. Thompson died Jan. 18 at age 50 because of pancreatic cancer.
RECENT COMMITMENTS — Odyssey Charter sophomore Emberly Sevilla to Boise State for women’s soccer. … Legacy senior Alyssa Sotelo signed a letter of intent with Bethany College (Kan.) for softball.
— Contact reporter David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidSchoenLVRJ