Miami High School Baller Jon Brown Attracts Ivy League Interest

A south Florida high school basketball star is being pursued by a number of Ivy League schools, including Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, MIT, Columbia and Yale.

Jon Brown, a 6’6” point guard who plays for Sports Leadership and Management (SLAM) Charter School in Miami, has a 3.8 grade point average and received a high score on the SAT exam when he was only in eighth grade. He recently visited all of the above colleges and said he felt at home on the historic campuses.

“Walking on the campuses and staying overnight really made me feel as though I could contribute socially and academically,” Brown said. “I would love to play basketball professionally someday, but I would definitely pursue working on Wall Street and owning a business—and maybe even an NBA franchise. Sports is something that lasts momentarily, but your education is forever.”

Although the storied institutions of the Ivy League are most well known for producing diplomats, politicians, legal scholars and captains of industry, in recent years its men’s basketball teams have made a real impact during the NCAA’s March Madness. Harvard, for its part, has made it to the round of 32 in the annual tournament twice in the last decade, a significant feat for a school outside of the six major conferences. The Crimson also produced Jeremy Lin, who has become one of the NBA’s top players.

Brown has accomplished a great deal for a high school senior. He started and owns an online sneaker business and has written a book with his brother, a junior at the University of Miami, on bullying, peer pressure and social media. And according to his coach, Ed Peña, Brown is the perfect combination of a sound mind and natural athletic talent—and calling him a “combo guard” is an understatement.

“He’s a coach on the floor and offensively he is unstoppable,” said Peña.

For much of his life, Brown has trained with former NBA All-Stars, including Kenny Anderson, Anthony Mason and Chris Gatling. He says he gets his flashy ball handling and passing skills from Anderson, his rebounding and defensive abilities from Mason and his post moves and footwork from Gatling.

To learn more about Jon Brown and the skills he brings to the game, visit https://recruit-match.ncsasports.org/clientrms/athletes/2701310.

About Jon Brown

Jon Brown is a high school senior and star basketball player for Sports Leadership and Management (SLAM) Charter School in Miami, Florida.