CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It wouldn’t be hyperbolic to name Milan Brown essentially the most attention-grabbing rookie within the ACC.
Take into account 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 task mannequin, likens her personal recreation to Russell Westbrook’s, and mentioned Monday at ACC Tip-Off that she desires to be the Governor of Maryland by the point she’s 40. The present occupant of the Previous 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 they’d precisely what I used to be in search of athletically, but additionally within the classroom,” Brown informed SB Nation. “I thought-about 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 very best convention on this planet. It undoubtedly meant quite a bit to me to play on that sort of stage, to get that sort of notoriety, and to play in opposition to the very best competitors on this planet.”
Brown broke the scoring file at Mercy by flattening three consecutive free throws in her ultimate 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 adorned profession at West Virginia.
In highschool, Brown scored a variety 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 wanting 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 in search of And-1s each time I’m within the paint,” Brown mentioned. “I’m not shying away from contact.”
It’s on this facet of her recreation that Brown compares herself to Westbrook — although, a number of the fearlessness and grit she performs with might also come from idolizing Reese. Brown was in center college 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 lively NBA gamers in all-time free throw makes an attempt and garnered a repute 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 mentioned. “I play with a ton of ardour and I like the sport.”
It’s not usually that coaches will deliver freshmen to media days earlier than they even play their first minute of faculty 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 huge of a task she expects the rookie to play this season.
Ought to Brown have the identical influence 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 remodeling 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 desires to develop the Demon Deacons’ fanbase too.
“I’m wanting ahead to taking part in on the Joel,” Brown mentioned. “We’re going to work actually exhausting to get a very good dwelling crowd this 12 months.”
As tenacious as Brown is on the court docket, she could also be even a tougher 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 variety of youngsters don’t have illustration and aren’t conscious of how wealthy and nice the African American legacy has been,” Brown mentioned. “So, I sort 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 targets in thoughts.
“I wish to be a politician,” Brown mentioned.
Earlier than she pursues politics, Brown desires to show Wake right into a winner. She’ll goal to try 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 irrespective of who’s in entrance of her.