Hailing from the hoops hotbed of Memphis, Sullivan Brown is the best example of a player who could have reaped the rewards of the post-graduate year.
A late-bloomer on the recruiting market, Brown played just one season of high school at Hillcrest High in Memphis. Possessing a smooth, left-handed stroke from beyond the arc, the 6-foot-2 Brown emerged into a key scorer and hounding defensive presence, helping the program to a berth in the state tournament.
Brown played this lone year of high school hoops merely by accident. Having plied his trade strictly on the AAU circuit with the Memphis Disciples, Brown learned of Hillcrest’s tryout through a friend at the 11th hour.
“I learned there were tryouts that day and I just happened to have all my gear with me at the time,” said Brown, now one of the top player development ace’s in the country.
“I had literally just transferred schools and I hadn’t made up my mind about playing on the team yet. When my friend told me he was going to tryouts, I wound up going along with him.”
Brown not only made the team with ease, he found his way to the starting lineup and soon became a dependable two-way source. A knock-down specialist, Brown posted four games of six treys or more.
From there, Brown earned a scholarship to William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa. An NAIA national tournament contender at the time, William Penn had a prestigious basketball reputation.
After red-shirting his freshman season, Brown became an immediate spark off the bench as a sophomore. He was able to spread out the floor with deep, seemingly limitless 3-point range.
After college, Brown continued to weigh options for his basketball career. Having worked a number of basketball camps and gotten his coaching feet wet, he found his true passion to be in nurturing grass-roots talent. An opportunity emerged at camp Winadu in Massachusetts, where Brown opened up a network of contacts in the coaching world while pursuing his craft.
Though he initially considered weighing his professional stock over the waters, Brown quickly developed national appeal as a coach. Steadfast in developing talent, locating noticeable holes in player’s games and working relentlessly to rectify them, Brown took a job at DME Academy in Daytona Beach, Fla.
While at DME, Brown worked exclusively under Chris Chaney, a three-time National Champion and three-time National Prep Coach of the Year. Alongside Chaney, Brown helped recruit and cultivate Division-I talent from all over the country.
Instrumental in grooming a plethora of Division-I recruits-- Tobias Howard, Ted Kapita, Kevaughn Harris, and Connor Farrell to name a few—Chaney and Brown helped DME climb the nation’s prep mountaintops. Mid-way through the year, the previously unheard of program found its way to a No.5 national ranking.
Working on everything from physical development, ball handling, defensive acumen, reads, and shot selection, Brown continued to propel the group’s evolution.
While at DME Academy, coach Chaney learned of an opportunity near his Maryland roots at the sprawling Scotland Campus in Central Pennsylvania. Immediately after inheriting the keys to the kingdom for the basketball program, Brown was the first staff member Chaney hired.
While at DME Academy, coach Chaney learned of an opportunity near his Maryland roots at the sprawling Scotland Campus in Central Pennsylvania. Immediately after inheriting the keys to the kingdom for the basketball program, Brown was the first staff member Chaney hired.
Jumping at the opportunity, Brown helped plant the seeds for a new program to take root. During his first year, he helped recruit and assemble a barrage of underrated, unsung, and mostly unheard of recruits en route to a 21-7 campaign. This group included mid-major recruits such as Rasheed Brown, Jalen Jordan, Tyler Morman, and Chris Parker. The team posted upset victories over nationally-ranked Mt. Zion Academy (Md.) and Montverde Academy of Florida.
Brown’s day-to-day activities include player development, recruiting, overseeing the entire operation, speed and agility, and scouting. Brown plays an integral role in coordinating with Division-I coaches and placing student-athletes at NCAA programs throughout the country.