Tag: James Brown

UNC target Danny Wolf commits to Michigan

The UNC basketball team is no longer in the running for former Yale big man Danny Wolf.

The transfer portal is alive and well in college basketball.

We’ve seen plenty of big-name transfers commit already, with the latest being former Wisconsin guard AJ Storr to Kansas. There’s been several teams who’ve brought players in for visits, only for those players to choose other destinations.

One highly-touted player the North Carolina Tar Heels looked at was Danny Wolf, the 7-foot big man from Yale, who averaged 14.1 points and 9.7 rebounds per game last year. UNC is in need of an experienced center for the coming season, as it only returns Jalen Washington and brings in 4-star James Brown.

Unfortunately, Wolf is now off the market, as he committed to Michigan on Saturday.

Michigan was arguably the worst Power 5 basketball school last year, compiling an 8-24 (3-17) record, which led to the recent firing of head coach Juwan Howard. After a shocking win against ranked Wisconsin on Feb. 7, the Wolverines lost nine straight to end the year.

Getting Wolf is a massive win for new head coach Dusty May, who is trying to restore Michigan to Big 10 prominence.

Missing out of Wolf isn’t the end of the world for North Carolina, which is still in the mix for Tennessee transfer Jonas Aidoo and Rutgers big man Cliff Omuruyi. I’d be fine with either guy, but nabbing Aidoo would allow him to play in his home state, as Aidoo grew up in Durham.

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James Brown brilliantly defused calling himself ‘big chocolate head’ on a hot mic

James Brown’s smooth level? 1,000.

Getting caught saying something a little out of pocket can happen to the best of us. Especially to those who are professional speakers.

Yes, it can even happen to CBS’s James Brown, a broadcasting veteran with over five decades of experience. After the NFL on CBS delivered its halftime report introduction on Sunday, the studio host seemingly didn’t realize he was back live on camera in front of the entire country. Because if he did, he probably wouldn’t have accidentally referred to himself as “big chocolate head” with everyone watching.

To Brown’s credit, he realized his mistake immediately and smoothly played off the hilarious hot mic snafu like a true pro:

How fantastic. Rather than pretend he never said it, Brown showed off a great sense of humor, weaving in his apparent nickname in his welcome to CBS’s spectating audience. That’s a guy who’s been around the broadcasting block and knows that these missteps aren’t necessarily rare.

UNC hoops commit James Brown a rare selection to Formula Zero camp

UNC basketball 2024 recruit James Brown was one of just 20 players selected to NBA superstar Damian Lilliard’s Formula Zero Elite Camp.

James Brown is one of three commits in the UNC basketball program’s 2024 class.

He’s a 6-9, 210-pound center from Chicago, Illinois. Brown played his first three years of high school ball at St. Rita High School, where he averaged 10.7 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. He’ll suit up for Link Academy in Branson, Missouri, the same school incoming Tar Heel freshman Elliot Cadeau played at (and won a championship) last winter.

Not even in his senior season yet, Brown is making big headlines in the offseason circuit.

On Wednesday, Formula Zero announced on X, formerly known as Twitter, that Brown accepted an invite to NBA superstar Damian Lilliard’s Formula Zero Elite Camp.

Fans will see recruits across the country playing in numerous offseason tournaments and participating in several camps. This camp is unique, though, as Brown was one of just 20 high school players selected from across the United States.

UNC anxiously awaits the arrival of Brown, as he’ll likely be joining Jalen Washington at the five-spot in two years. The Brown-Washington duo will need to produce if Carolina has any future paint success because Armando Bacot is entering his final year in Chapel Hill.

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UNC recruit James Brown showcases skill at both ends of court in Top 100 camp

UNC basketball 2024 commit James Brown showcases his all-around talent at this year’s NBPA Top 100 camp.

Losing Armando Bacot next year is going to be a tough blow for the UNC men’s basketball program, but the blow isn’t going to be as impactful as one might think.

If Jalen Washington sees sufficient court time during the upcoming campaign, he’ll be tempted to stick around for his junior year and beyond. Washington will likely be the starting center next season.

Carolina has another exciting recruit joining the program next season, 4-star center James Brown, the 6-9, 210-pound big man from Chicago Illinois. Brown. He’s playing his high school ball at Branson, Mo.-based Link Academy, just like current Tar Heel Elliot Cadeau.

Want to see what Brown’s doing to prepare for his final high school campaign? Watch these highlights from this year’s NBPA Top 100 Camp:

Brown can do a little bit of everything. He’ll spot up outside and knock down the 3-point shot, something UNC is in desperate need of. He shows a solid ability to finish through contact. He can block shots and pull down rebounds like Bacot.

According to MaxPreps, Brown carried career averages of 10.7 points and 9.2 rebounds per game in his first three high school years at St. Rita (Chicago, Ill.) High School.

Only a rising senior, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Brown grow a few more inches and developing into an even more imposing player.

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UNC commit helps AAU team get win in Peach Jam opener

UNC basketball commit James Brown had a big game in his team’s Peach Jam opener on Monday.

The Nike EYBL Peach Jam is officially off and running in South Carolina, showcasing some of the top talent in high school basketball.

For the North Carolina Tar Heels, they are being represented with two committed recruits participating in Drake Powell and James Brown. Both players are members of UNC’s 2024 class which ranks No. 1 here so far in the cycle.

While Powell earned some praise from an analyst on Monday in Team CP3’s big win, Brown also played a big role in getting his team a win. In Mokan Elite’s 64-50 win over Team Melo, four-star commit James Brown finished with 18 points to lead his team in scoring.

He also added 7 rebounds and 1 block in the big win.

Mokan Elite is attempting to defend their 2022 title when they beat Team Takeover.

For Brown, having a big showing at the Peach Jam will help elevate his stock for the future. He was once a top 25 recruit but has slipped a little in recent updates to the rankings as a four-star prospect.

This summer could be a big one for the talented recruit who has opted to play for Link Academy.

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Where UNC basketball recruits rank in updated On3 rankings

Here are were the 2024 UNC basketball commits rank in the updated On3 Top 150 rankings that are now updated.

As we hit the summer months, the recruiting evaluation periods will continue on in college basketball. The AAU cycle still has some premier events left this summer as recruits will have the chance to showcase their skills.

But it’s also the time for a recruiting ranking update.

On3 has put out their updated rankings for the 2024 class, putting together the Top 150. That list included all three UNC commits in the 2024 class with Ian Jackson, Drake Powell, and James Brown being ranked. With Elliot Cadeau heading to 2023, the Tar Heels now have a three-man class. But even so, the class is a strong one for Hubert Davis.

Since expanding the rankings from 50 to 150, On3’s recruiting experts have analyzed and scouted players following their junior seasons including events like USA Basketball, Nike EYBL, Adidas 3SSB, and Under Armour Next cycle.

With that, they have put together the Top 150 list which includes some newcomers and familiar faces.

Here is where UNC players rank in the updated On3 Top 150 for the 2024 class.

2024 shooting guard recruit Cole Certa commits to Notre Dame

This latest commitment is for the future, not this coming season.

Lately, the focus for Notre Dame has been on filling out the upcoming season’s roster. This week has seen just that with three players who were set to play at Penn State joining [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] instead. That doesn’t mean the Irish aren’t looking at the 2024-25 season though. They now can do that after shooting guard recruit [autotag]Cole Certa[/autotag] announced his commitment to the program:

Certa, currently at Bloomington Central Catholic in Illinois, had nearly every prominent program in his home state after him. Illinois, Northwestern, Loyola Chicago, Bradley and Illinois State all made offers. He also received offers from Butler, Nebraska, Toledo and Penn State while Shrewsberry was there. The Irish were the last program to offer him, and that came after Shrewsberry went to the Irish. As it turned out, the best had been saved for last.

247Sports had Certa as the highest-rated uncommitted 2024 recruit in Illinois. That no longer is the case as Certa has made his decision. It also will be interesting to see if during his collegiate career, there will be a prominent game against North Carolina involving him and Tar Heels commit James Brown, the highest-rated Illinois recruit in that class. It sure is fun to think about.

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Two UNC 2024 commits team up for final year of high school

Two UNC basketball 2024 commits are now teaming up for their final year of high school at Link Academy.

With his high school basketball season complete, UNC basketball commit [autotag]James Brown[/autotag] is on the move.

Brown announced on Friday that he will be leaving St. Rita (Illinois) and will be joining Link Academy (Missouri) for his senior season.

“I’m grateful for my time at St. Rita and what we were able to accomplish there,” Brown told Inside Carolina. “But at the end of the day, I think Link gives me a chance to be around a lot of like-minded individuals. Not that they weren’t at St. Rita, but at Link it’s school and basketball, those are the only two things you focus on.”

The UNC commit will team with a future teammate. Five-star point guard Elliot Cadeau is a member of the Link Academy roster as he mulls over a potential reclassification.

“We talked a little bit while I was there, but texted for a bit afterward,” Brown said of Cadeau. “Watching how he makes his teammates better was fun. He’s able to advance the ball up the floor quickly and hit people in transition. I can see us being able to make each other look good. It will good to get used to playing with him.”

In addition to joining Link, Brown will switch AAU programs for his final grassroots season. Leaving MeanStreets, Brown will join MoKan Elite.

Brown is ranked the No. 48 player in the 2024 class by 247Sports.

The 6-foot-9 forward is part of a four-man class for North Carolina, joining five-star prospects Ian Jackson and Cadeau and four-star wing Drake Powell.

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UNC commits projected to be future winners at NBA All-Star Weekend

Two UNC basketball commits projected to be future winners at NBA All-Star Weekend.

With the NBA All-Star break coming up, it’s a time to look ahead to future potential participants and a few of them could be coming from the UNC basketball program.

There’s no question that UNC’s future recruiting classes are extremely talented and possess a few NBA caliber talent.

According to 247Sports, there are two North Carolina commits who could be potential winners in the future.

One is point guard commit [autotag]Elliot Cadeau[/autotag] and the other is wing [autotag]Ian Jackson[/autotag]. Cadeau was notes as the Skills Challenge winner while Jackson was the Slam Dunk winner.

On Cadeau: “Elliot Cadeau is a very skilled point guard who combines his skill set with a tremendous dose of athleticism. He is quick and fast; but more importantly, he has a great change of direction. When cut off by a defender, he can get to a counter move in the blink of an eye. His ability to quickly weave through tight spaces with the ball in his hands would make him hard to beat here.”

On Jackson: “Not only does Ian Jackson have the bounce that makes him worthy for the dunk contest, but he also carries a nickname that projects to be memorable. Also known as “Captain Jack,” Jackson has some serious pop in his legs. A true shooting guard at 6-foot-4, Jackson has elite explosion and off-the-charts athletic ability. He has a history of beating defenders on his attack and taking off with fast twitch fibers to finish at the rim.”

The 2024 class for the Tar Heels is currently ranked No. 1 in the country with commitments from Cadeau, Jackson and four star prospects James Brown and Drake Powell.

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BKFC 35: Best photos from Myrtle Beach

Check out these photos from BKFC 35, which took place in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Check out these photos from the fights at BKFC 35, which took place at Myrtle Beach Sports Center in Myrtle Beach, S.C. (Photos courtesy of BKFC)