St. Rita junior James Brown has ended his high-profile recruitment, committing to North Carolina and coach Hubert Davis on Monday night. The decision came earlier than expected, since Brown had planned to resume the process this spring.
Brown said the choice felt right and there was no reason to drag it out. "I'm not a big fan of delaying the inevitable," he said. "I felt like North Carolina was the school for me, and my parents were on board. So we decided there was no point in making people wait."
Brown had a long list of high-major suitors and cut it to 10 schools in September. He then took five official visits in the fall, going to Missouri, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Illinois and North Carolina. His October trip to Chapel Hill made a strong impression and got him thinking about speeding up his timeline.
Much of that came from the bond he formed with Davis and assistant coach Sean May. Brown said the relationship went beyond the usual player and coach dynamic. He asked them detailed questions about what they saw in his game, especially about his development, and said their answers were useful. "They helped me get better even in those conversations, and I was grateful for that," he said.
His father, Courtney, also shaped the decision. He advised Brown to watch how each coach worked during games and handled adversity and different situations. Brown said Davis stood out. "Coach Davis never frowned when things weren't going their way. He never seemed to get down on his guys," Brown said, adding that he likes Davis's passion, energy and positivity.
Davis and May traveled to the Proviso West Holiday Tournament last week to see Brown and St. Rita play Young in a semifinal. Brown said he already had an idea he wanted to go to North Carolina heading into the event, and that his conversations with the two coaches afterward sealed it.
St. Rita coach Roshawn Russell, who has handled several high-major recruitments in a short time leading the Mustangs, said personality was the key. "Their personalities, particularly Hubert Davis, matched well with James and what he was looking for," Russell said. He also described Brown as a "team-first guy who sacrifices for the greater good."
Brown now joins a program with six national championships and a history that includes coaches Dean Smith and Roy Williams and players Michael Jordan, James Worthy and Vince Carter. The Tar Heels reached last year's national championship game in Davis's first season as head coach. "It's a great school with a great basketball history," Brown said. "It will help me accomplish my dreams on and off the court."
Brown is the latest of several highly regarded St. Rita juniors to commit early. Teammate Morez Johnson is headed to Illinois, and Nojus Indrusaitis recently committed to Iowa State.
