NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates 
Illinois basketball freshman Ethan Brown scored 15 points (against Cincinnati) in his first live action as an Illinois player. He was second on the team with 12 points on Wednesday vs. UIC. As a senior in high school, Brown averaged 24.0 points. Over the course of his career at Rolla High School in Missouri, he scored a program-record 2,523 points.
It obviously wouldn’t be outlandish to characterize Brown as a scorer. The bare-minimum expectation might normally be for Brown to get a fair share of opportunities to showcase his scoring abilities – but will he on this talented Illini squad?
Advertisement
Ethan Brown’s maturity and selflessness as a freshman
Apr 4, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood reacts against the Connecticut Huskies in the second half during a semifinal of the Final Four of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
“Just doing whatever the coaches need from me,” Brown said, after logging four assists in a win against UIC. “Whatever it takes for the team to win. I think I’ve always been kind of a facilitator. I’m not here to score. I obviously know we’ve got a lot of scorers, and I’m just here to get people like Stefan [Vaaks], our veterans, the ball and just let them work.”
That sentiment – “I’m not here to score” – is why Brown is a starter on a team that returns five rotation players from a Final Four run and added one of the best transfers (Vaaks) in the country this offseason.
Advertisement
Brown understands his role and isn’t looking to play outside of it. But he offers the best of both worlds, because he isn’t afraid to score. Brown gets his threes up in a hurry and hits them at a high volume (six in three exhibition games) and rate. He also has a sweet floater in his bag.
The luxury of having a freshman with Brown’s shooting ability, intelligence and awareness of his role (as well as an eagerness to embrace it), cannot be…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/illinois-freshman-ethan-brown-embraces-213337830.html
Author :
Publish date : 2026-11-01 21:33:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
