Men’s Basketball – HPU’s Brown Gets Third Big South Freshman Honor

High Point University’s John Brown has been named Big South Freshman of the Week for the second time in a row and third time this season, the conference announced on Monday. He notched his first collegiate double-double (27 points, 10 rebounds) against Wake Forest last Wednesday.

Brown scored his 27 points on 12-for-22 shooting from the floor at Wake Forest. He scored six of HPU’s first eight points in the game as well as High Point’s first 10 points in the second half. His 10 rebounds were a career high and he added three blocks and two steals.

Brown’s inbounds alley-oop dunk from senior Jairus Simms in the second half was featured as ESPN SportsCenter’s No. 3 play. It was the second time in eight collegiate games he made the SportsCenter top 10. Brown’s breakaway dunk two minutes later had the Panthers within five points (59-54) with 5:14 to play in the eventual 71-60 loss.

On the season, Brown is averaging 17.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 2.1 steals. He is shooting 54.5 percent (54-for-99) from the floor. He is the conference’s top freshman in scoring, blocks and steals.

Brown is High Point’s first three-time Big South Freshman of the Week since Eugene Harris in 2006-07. Freshman guard Adam Weary was named Big South Freshman of the Week on Nov. 26. HPU’s total of four Big South Freshman of the Week honors are most since Joe Knight earned the honor five times himself in 2001-02.

The Panthers are in the midst of an 11-day break for final exams and resume their schedule with a home game against Western Michigan on Sunday at 3 p.m. The team is 4-4 and loss to avenge a 54-53 loss to the Broncos in Kalamazoo, Mich., on Nov. 29.