Zach Brown, we hardly knew ye.

In what can hardly be called a surprise, Brown, the 7-foot center out of Miami, has de-committed from UConn. He and Kevin Ollie spoke on a conference call on Thursday afternoon and agreed it was what was best for both parties. There are no hard feelings, according to a source, it just wound up not being a good fit.

Brown, of course, committed to UConn in January and left his Miami home about a week later to enroll at Putnam Science Academy. He played a few games for PSA, but was involved in a postgame fracas in February and eventually released from the school.

He returned to Miami, made an ill-fated effort to return to Putnam, and eventually re-enrolled in his original high school, Miami Beach High. He's currently playing for the Nike South Beach EYBL team. One of his teammates is Chaundee Brown, a 6-5, Class of 2017 shooting guard who has been offered by UConn.

After a whirlwind past few weeks that saw him commit to UConn, transfer from Miami High to Putnam Science Academy, then leave school to return to his Miami home, Zach Brown is back at his original school: Miami Beach High.

Brown played there for coach Jacob Shaw his first two years of high school before transferring to Miami High this past year, then PSA a few weeks ago.

“We’re happy to have him back in our program," said Shaw. "It’s not just me, it’s my whole coaching staff,  the principal, the administration, our goal is to make sure Zach’s in the right mind, playing good basketball. This is something Zach wanted. Everything is all about what he wants right now. He’s ready to get back and have some fun in a positive way."

Brown is still fully committed to UConn, and Shaw said he's spoken to Kevin Ollie and that the Huskies are still committed to Brown. One thing is certain, however: Brown will absolutely not re-classify to 2016. That's the main reason he transferred to PSA, but the adjustment and the academic stress became too much for him. He was also involved in a postgame fight a couple of weeks into his tenure that led to his being released from the school.

Miami Beach High's hoops season is over, so Brown is concentrating on academics. He's also thinking of running track this spring.

It's a long way from now until the summer or fall of 2017. Whether Brown ever makes it to UConn remains to be seen. But it appears he's in the right place for him right now, and that all parties involved would still like to see the UConn thing work out.

Zach Brown is no longer enrolled at Putnam Science Academy, and is in fact back in Miami right now with his biological family. Whether or not he ever plays basketball for UConn is the furthest thing from anyone’s minds right now, as he deals with a “personal health issue.”

Here's what PSA coach Tom Espinosa wrote in an email on Wednesday morning:

"I wanted to pass this along to all of you regarding Zach Brown. Its official that Zach Brown is no longer enrolled at Putnam Science Academy. Unfortunately, Zach Brown had an incident and was asked to leave the school."

Brown has spent about a week in Miami before flying back up to Connecticut on Saturday night and had planned to meet with officials from Putnam on Monday, according to a source. But it never materialized, and after spending the past few days in Connecticut, he flew back to Miami on Tuesday.

Brown was involved in an altercation between PSA and Montverde Prep in the locker room after a game on Feb. 6 at Rhode Island College in Providence. He returned to Miami for what had been a pre-planned trip the next day, and stayed a few extra days to try to sort out some personal issues before flying back to Connecticut on Saturday night.

He never made it back to Putnam, however. It’s unfortunate he didn’t get a chance to meet with Caron Butler, a shining example of a young man from a troubled background who turned his life around at UConn.

At this point, Brown isn’t looking at any other colleges, or even prep schools. The No. 1 priority is for him to get healthy.

After spending the past week in his hometown of Miami to deal with some "personal issues," Zach Brown, the 7-foot-1 Class of 2017 center, was scheduled to have returned to Putnam Science Academy on Saturday night.

Brown left Putnam Science Academy on Sunday morning to deal with something that was already on his docket. Brown had been involved in a confrontation involving several players from both PSA and Monteverde Prep after a game last week, but his return to Miami had nothing to do with that.

Brown's chief goal upon his return to PSA is to improve upon his academics.

Brown committed to UConn last month. He is one of the top-rated centers in the Class of 2017, and he has stated a desire to re-classify to 2016.

Meanwhile, here's a nice piece by Caron Butler on The Players' Tribune. Butler will have his number retired to the Huskies of Honor at halftime of Saturday's game with Tulsa at Gampel.

Wasn't able to make the trip to Orlando on Sunday. It should be the last UConn road trip I miss this season. Great win, though. Seems like the Huskies got back to doing what they need to do ... and it certainly helps to have Amida Brimah back, as well.

Anyway, did a feature on Zach Brown after talking to his guardian, Boo Willingham, his Putnam coach and others, then seeing him in his Putnam debut Saturday night. It's a pretty fascinating story, and he's a real nice kid that's easy to root for. Hope you enjoy.

Went to check out Zach Brown in his debut with Putnam Science Academy. There's a lot to like here, but certainly room to improve, as well.



Brown didn't start (he did just enroll at the school less than two weeks ago) but came off the bench 4 minutes, 43 seconds into the game and made his presence felt. He wound up with 14 points on 7-for-11 shooting, with four rebounds and three blocks. He also had his shot blocked twice in a row by a smaller player early on, when some rust was evident.

There's no doubt, he's skilled -- more so than other recent UConn big men (Hasheem Thabeet, Amida Brimah, maybe Steve Enoch). He's a little ungainly, maybe needs to get a little stronger, but has some impressive low-post moves, keeps the ball high and has a nice lefty jump hook that's got to be hard to guard -- especially from a 7-footer.

Brown helped PSA crush a Lee Academy team that has some talent and size but is a middle-of-the-pack team in the league.

Meanwhile, Mamadou Diarra struggled a bit, with 13 points on 4-for-9 shooting from both the field and the foul line. He did hit a 3-pointer and grabbed 10 boards to go with four blocks, some of them rafter-shaking.

And Hamidou Diallo? Wow, he's special. Finished with 20 points, five boards and five assists, as well as an incredible dunk through the lane, in traffic. Incredible talent, though a bit yappy with the refs and the opposing team.

Unfortunately, I missed his dunk on video, but did get this stickback late in the game:



Former UConn player Boo Willingham, who was Brown's AAU coach and mentor down in Miami, was at the game (he still lives in Hartford) and had some nice things to say about the big man. We'll have that and more in a feature story on Monday.

For now, here's what Brown and Putnam coach Tom Espinosa had to say about his debut:

BROWN:

"I was nervous at first, but I got it together. An elite player should never be nervous to play any competition."

"It's a lot better. It's competitive. I can't just go out and get easy dunks, I have to work hard for it. Down in Miami, I'm not trying to talk bad, but it was a little easy. Up here, it's really competitive. I was really working and stepping my game up."

(on Putnam Science Academy)

"At first, I was like, 'Oh my God, why am I here? They sent me away just for this?' But now, I like it. My teammates love me, I love my teammates, I love my coach. I just love it here. It just feels right."

(on what parts of his game are his strengths, and what he needs to work on)

"Playing defense, blocking shots rebounding, my left-hand jump hook, layups. But I have to work on my right hand. I've been working on it a little bit so I can get that up-and-under ready."

"I wanted to get out of Miami, because I had a lot of distractions with suspensions and crazy stuff. Miami is like a party city, so I wasn't focused mentally, so I had to come up here if I wanted to be successful. So, that's what I did."

(on re-classifying)

"It depends on the schoolwork. If I can get it down pat and get these grades up, it'll happen. If not, I have to stay one more year. So, we'll have to see."

Would he prefer to move up to the Class of 2016?

"Yes."

PUTNAM COACH TOM ESPINOSA:

"We have a pretty good relationship with UConn, we have Mamadou here. The bottom line is, UConn's staff wanted to get Zach out of Miami and get him into a prep school. It wasn't just us, it was other prep schools. It just worked out with us."

"I think UConn's pretty happy he's here. We're 30 minutes away from UConn."

"He's extremely quick for a 7-footer. He moves extremely well. Defensively, he's got to work on. He closes, no space, and he fouls constantly. He blocked maybe one or two shots, but he's gotta be a better shot-blocker. Defensively, he's kind of way behind, I believe. But offensively, he's very quick, he keeps the ball high, he's got great up-and-under moves. The last two days of practice, he's dominated."

(could he be ready to play at UConn next season)

"This fall, at UConn? I think he could, but I think he would benefit a lot more coming back. He's got a lot of work to do. In Miami, he put up big numbers, but he wasn't playing against the highest competition that he's gonna play here, at a prep school in New England."

"He would love to go next year. He's a true junior, he's right on track. His plan is to maybe take some summer classes, graduate early and get to UConn in the fall. But, it's a very slim chance. I don't think it's gonna happen. I think he'll be back here next year."

Because Brown transferred to PSA past deadline, he won't be able to play in the national prep tournament.

Zach Brown is back in Connecticut.

The 7-foot Husky commit from Miami was scheduled to have landed at Bradley Airport on Tuesday night and begin his career at Putnam Science Academy the next morning -- as a student, anyway. PSA has a game on Wednesday, but Brown won't play in that one. He'll go through individual drills with the team on Wednesday, practice on Thursday and Friday and may play this weekend for Tom Espinosa's crew.

“His legal guardian and mentor has been trying to send him to a prep school in the past year or so," Espinosa said. "They’ve been trying to get Zach into a prep school. We have a relationship with UConn, and that’s kinda how it all started.”

Brown visited PSA on Monday, Jan. 18, in the midst of his visit to UConn, did interviews with the school's headmaster and guidance counselor and filled out the necessary paperwork to transfer to the school. After taking in UConn's win over Tulane on Jan. 19 and committing to the Huskies the following morning, Espinosa figured the big center would be transferring to PSA.

"UConn wanted him out of Miami and into more structured setting," Espinosa said. "I give the kid a lot of credit. He’s really mature. Bottom line is, at the end of the day, it’s his decision. It’s tough for the kid to say, 'I’m gonna pack up north and head to New England.' He was nervous, but he decided to do it. He’s determined, and bottom line is, it’s a good situation for him to get where he wants to go.”

Espinosa should have Brown as a player for 1 1/2 seasons. Brown wanted to try to graduate early and head to UConn in the fall of 2016, but that isn't feasible, and he'll stay Class of 2017.

He'll be the teammate of another Husky commit, power forward Mamadou Diarra, this season, as well as coveted UConn target Hamidou Diallo. Brown and Diallo should be teammates again next season, too, as Espinosa noted it's "99.9 percent" sure that Diallo won't reclassify to '16 and will remain a '17 grad.

Stepping off a plane from Miami to be greeted by windy, 20-degree temperatures in Connecticut on Tuesday wasn’t enough to hinder Zach Brown’s fondness for all things UConn.

“I love UConn and I love Connecticut,” Brown, a 7-foot, 260-pound center, said while sporting a UConn knit hat and sitting behind the bench at the Huskies’ game against Tulane on Tuesday night at the XL Center.

He proved that love even more on Wednesday morning by committing to the Huskies. He’s the first Class of 2017 player to pledge to Kevin Ollie.

“It’s a brotherhood, and they’re also on a mission that you’re good at academics, not just basketball,” Brown said of UConn.

It was pretty obvious that Brown was going to commit to UConn on Tuesday night, when he had to think for a moment about the other programs he was considering:



Obviously, it was UConn all the way. Brown has made a prior unofficial visit to Storrs back in September.

Brown, who is a national top 25 recruit for the Class of 2017, continues Ollie’s recent trend of landing top prospects. UConn’s Class of 2016 roundup is considered one of the best in the nation by various recruiting outlets, headed by McDonald’s All-American Alterique Gilbert, a point guard out of Georgia. Joining Gilbert in the ‘16 class are Vance Jackson, a 6-8 small forward out of California’s Prolific Prep; Mamadou Diarra, a 6-8 power forward from Putnam Science Academy; and Juwan Durham, a 6-11 center out of Tampa, Florida.

Zach Brown said he is close to making his college decision. Real close.

"It's coming," he said on Tuesday night.

And all signs point to that decision being UConn. Brown said he loved his visit to UConn (his second), and that the program is "a brotherhood, and they're also on a mission that you're good at academics, not just basketball."

When asked what other schools he is considering, he had to think for a minute, before noting Miami, NC State and Georgia.

Brown is a 7-foot, 260-pound Class of 2017 center out of Miami Beach Senior High. He sat behind the Huskies' bench on Tuesday night, sporting a UConn knit hat.

Perhaps playing in the American Conference, as opposed to one of the so-called "power five" leagues, isn't hurting UConn as bad as originally thought.

The Huskies have already notched three Class of 2016 players, and they're good ones -- Mamadou Diarra, a 6-foot-8 power forward from Putnam Science Academy; Alterique Gilbert, a uniquely talented (if small) point guard out of Georgia; and, most recently, Tampa's Juwan Durham, a multi-faceted 6-10 forward who has drawn favorable comparisons to a young Donyell Marshall.

Sure, there are hundreds of players out there, and Kentucky, Duke and North Carolina can't swipe up all of them. Sure, it may have helped UConn that Durham missed much of his junior year after tearing the ACL in his right knee, though it appears most of the major programs still coveted the Tampa Prep star despite the injury.

But the fact of the matter is, the Huskies are welcoming three excellent players to the program next season -- and more top-notch talent could be on the way.

Wenyen Gabriel, one of the top-rated power forwards in the nation out of Wilbraham and Monson Academy, is slated to visit Storrs in a few weeks (Oct. 2-4). He's also highly sought-after by Kentucky, Duke, Maryland and Providence, but if the Huskies can get him to commit, it would really put their 2016 haul over the top.

Meanwhile, UConn is still very strong with a pair of top 2017 recruits: Zach Brown, a 7-footer out of Miami, and Hamadou Diallo, a shooting guard out from Putnam Science Academy who is close to current teammate Diarra.

UConn currently has one scholarship still open, which it could fill with a walk-on, as it has the past couple of seasons, or leave open in case any mid-season transfers become available. Otherwise, the Huskies will have at least four scholarships open up next season, with Sterling Gibbs, Shonn Miller, Omar Calhoun and Phil Nolan all graduating. It's certainly possible that Daniel Hamilton, Amida Brimah and/or Rodney Purvis could leave school early for the NBA after this season, as well.

With all that considered, the Huskies will likely have at least two, if not three or four more slots to fill for the 2016-17 season. A big man and a shooter top their wish list to fill out the Class of 2016 -- unless, of course, an extremely talented player at any other position suddenly becomes available. UConn could soon be getting a visit from 6-8 forward De'Ron Davis out of Colorado, who's getting a home visit from the Huskies this week.

Otherwise, the Huskies are looking at '17's and '18's, and could be getting a visit soon from Myles Powell out of South Kent School.