Elton Brown and Virginia men's basketball fans can finally let go of their breaths.
A week ago today, the Cavaliers' star recruit out of Warwick High School in Newport News found out from the SAT Program that he received a qualifying score on the June SAT for freshman eligibility, as determined by the NCAA. By qualifying, Brown is allowed to enroll at the University for the 2001-02 academic year.
"It was a huge relief," said Brown, who took the SAT three times to qualify. "And I learned my lesson. I'm not going to wait until the last minute again."
Because his final cumulative grade-point average at Warwick High was a 2.5 out of 4.0, Brown needed to score at least an 820 on the SAT to meet NCAA academic requirements for freshman eligibility, based on the NCAA's partial qualifier index scale. According to Virginia men's basketball assistant coach Tommy Herrion, the Virginia coaching staff was confident that he would qualify in June.
The coaches were right. Brown's score this time was 850.
"We're tremendously happy for him and what he's done this past academic year," Herrion said. "His hard work has been rewarded."
Had Brown not qualified, he would have had to spend a year at Hargrave Military Academy, a prep school in Chatham, Va., before playing basketball for the Cavaliers. In that case, Brown would not have needed to receive a qualifying score on the SAT to enter Virginia.
"I was really getting nervous," Brown said of the situation.
It wasn't easy for the 6-foot-8, 255-pound power forward, who spent most of his senior year trying to improve both his GPA and his SAT in order to qualify. He couldn't afford to fall into a senior slump.
Instead, he stayed after school with his teachers, received tutoring, and studied through the nights at home.
"I worked really hard, so I'm really excited about this," Brown said. "I've always dreamed of playing basketball in the ACC."
The Virginia coaching staff is excited as well. Now that Brown has qualified, the Cavaliers have six newcomers next season. Brown will be joined by 6-7 power forward and former AAU teammate Jason Clark and 6-3 guard Keith Jenifer out of Hargrave as well as 6-3 guard Jermaine Harper from Blue Ridge High School. Two transfers - center Nick Vander Laan from California and guard Todd Billet from Rutgers - will also be in Virginia this fall, but will not compete until 2002-2003 due to NCAA transfer regulations.
Brown "will bring a lot to us," Herrion said. "He is very skilled for his size and can score in the low post. He's a very good rebounder. He's tremendously competitive and loves to win."
Brown, who has a vision to bring a first-ever national championship to the Cavaliers, signed with Virginia in late October after eliminating Florida State and Temple from his list. As a senior at Warwick, Brown averaged 28.4 points, 9.8 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots per game. He was the most valuable player for coach Boo Williams' 17-and-under Amateur Athletic Union team that won the AAU national title last summer in Orlando, Fla. Brown, with the team, will leave late this week for a tour in Brazil.
Recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons rates Brown as the 35th-best high school player in the country, while Prepstars, a recruiting magazine, has Brown in its top 50.
Brown compares himself to Tim Duncan, the current San Antonio Spurs all-star and a former All-American at Wake Forest, whose game is "not flashy, but fundamental." And although Brown describes himself as a player who "can't jump" and can "barely get his feet off the ground," he has proven that he is among the nation's best and, according to Herrion, has the qualities Virginia is looking for.
The Virginia coaching staff believes Brown's addition to the recruiting class will give the Cavaliers depth and strength in their thin frontcourt. Rising junior Travis Watson, who played center for Virginia at 6-8, will receive much-needed help from Brown and Clark.
"When we recruited [Brown] and signed him, it was with the intention for him to play this upcoming season," Herrion said. "Our opinion is, the sooner we have him the better. He's a very talented player, and the recruits will complement each other nicely. We're tremendously excited about this class"
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