Craig Robinson’s first recruiting class at Brown is a large one. Numbering eight recruits in total, it has a distinctly Midwestern flavor, particularly from Robinson’s native Chicago area. Four of the recruits boast outstanding pedigrees in terms of family bloodlines or legendary high school programs. The class received a fair amount deal of attention, though none of the recruits individually jumps out as a blue chipper by Ivy League standards. However, there are players with intriguing potential in the group, and ultimately the class’s strength may lie in its size.
F Jelani Floyd – 6-8, 205 lbs. (Chicago, IL – Phillips Andover Academy)
Rated two stars by Scout.com, Floyd attended Whitney Young High School in Chicago before going postgraduate year at Andover. He is a wiry, athletic forward who can do a bit of everything. There’s some question as to his true position, with one scouting service even listing him as a shooting guard. Floyd probably will need to get stronger to make an impact at the Division I level.
SG Sean Kane – 6-5, 185 lbs. (Long Grove, IL – Carmel HS)
Kane was one of Robinson’s first public commitments, selecting the Bears after taking unofficial visits to Dartmouth, Princeton, and Yale. Regarded as a dead-eye spot-up shooter with excellent range, Kane was one of the top shooters in the state of Illinois as a senior, and could see minutes as freshman on the wing.
F/C Morgan Kelly – 6-9, 215 lbs. (Rockaway Beach, NY – Archbishop Molloy HS)
The big man also considered Columbia and Princeton, but canceled scheduled visits after committing to Brown. Kelly hails from a storied program in Archbishop Molloy, where he played for the legendary Jack Curran. Kelly’s perimeter skills and his height make him a good fit for Robinson’s offense, however he will need to add some muscle mass to a skinny frame.
SG Garrett Leffelman – 6-4, 195 lbs. (Naperville, IL – St. Joseph HS)
Rated one star by Scout.com, Leffelman attracted the interest of Dartmouth, Princeton, and Yale, as well as high-academic Division III schools Oberlin and the University of Chicago. Like Kelly, Leffelman is a product of a famous high school program at St. Joseph and a coaching institution in Gene Pingatore, with both featured in the memorable 1994 documentary Hoop Dreams. His shooting ability has drawn a great deal of praise and should make him a threat for playing time immediately.
C Evan Schmidt – 6-11, 230 lbs. (Valparaiso, IN – Valparaiso HS)
Rated two stars by both Scout.com and Rivals.com and a 76 (52nd amongst 2008 centers) by Scouts, Inc., Schmidt attracted Big Ten interest prior to missing his entire junior season with knee injury. The big man didn’t play much as a senior, averaging under two points per game. Schmidt is enrolled at Brown, but was dropped from the official roster this fall and reportedly will not play basketball, at least as a freshman.
SF Peter Sullivan – 6-5, 210 lbs. (Wilmette, IL – Loyola Academy)
Sullivan was a high school teammate of Michael Jordan’s sons at nationally ranked Loyola Academy last season, where he was one of the team’s leading scorers. He is a stellar marksman and regarded as a fundamentally sound player who can defend well on the wing. Despite Brown’s outstanding returning depth on the perimeter, Sullivan could make the biggest impact among the Bears’ freshmen.
F Chris Taylor – 6-8, 215 lbs. (Wayzata, MN – Wayzata HS)
Taylor visited Cornell and also considered Yale before deciding on Brown. The son of former University of Minnesota standout Corky Taylor, the 6-8 forward is very athletic, with a high ceiling. His slashing game reportedly is strong, and scouting reports cite a jumper with range out to the three-point line. Taylor should be a contender for frontcourt minutes right away.
G Adrian Williams – 6-1, 180 lbs. (Atlanta, GA – Wheeler HS)
Williams is another freshman with an outstanding athletic family pedigree. The son of Super Bowl MVP Doug Williams was rated a three-star recruit by Rivals.com out of a strong Wheeler program in the Atlanta area. He also considered Dartmouth, Air Force, Princeton, and Cornell. On a team without a strong candidate to take over for Marcus Becker at the point, Williams could see major minutes this year. However, while labeled a combo guard, it’s his shooting that has opened eyes, as evidenced by the 11 three-pointers he drained in one game last season.
