Committed: UNLV Men's Basketball 2019-2020 - Reece Brown - Official

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Committed: UNLV Men’s Basketball – Reece Brown

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Coach TJ Otzelberger knew he had to load up on talent for the 2020 class in order to build the UNLV basketball program to fit his vision. Players like 4 Star wing Nick Blake, and 4 Star big man Jhaylon Martinez highlight the class, but they aren’t the only highly talented players who committed to the Rebel program. Reece Brown is a Connecticut native who stands at 6’9 and will add plenty of athleticism, length, and an ability to knock down jumpers to Otzelberger’s offensive scheme.

Schools like Georgetown went all in for Brown, but his recruiting ended with UNLV, Elon, and Rice as his finalists. Ultimately the Rebels won out in his recruitment, and here is what Brown had to say in regards to becoming UNLV’s latest pledge.

JW– When did UNLV get involved with your recruitment?

RB– They got involved in late August. One of the people helping me out throughout the recruiting process had been reaching out to them and they watched a bunch of film before coming to multiple open gyms this fall.

JW– Which Rebel coach reached out to you first?

RB– Coach Buckley reached out first and then coach TJ called me about 20 minutes later.

JW– What about UNLV intrigued you the most?

RB– I already knew about their history, and I’m 100% confident that they’re on the right path to bringing that fast pace culture back. After hearing about all of the players the coaching staff has worked with and knowing it fits my style, it was a no brainer.

JW– When the staff talks to you about your role on the team, how do they expect you to contribute?

RB– They want me to have an immediate impact. Obviously, nothing is promised, but I think I can go in there next year and contribute, especially defensively with versatility and being able to guard different positions. Offensively, again I’m pretty versatile so I think I can create mismatches with either a smaller guard or a slower big. We’ll have a lot of talent, so it’ll be a great combination of learning from older guys as well as promise for the future.

JW- In your opinion what are the strengths of your game?

RB- I’m definitely known for my athleticism and making plays above the rim. I’m pretty versatile on both sides guarding most positions as well as creating mismatches. Lastly, I think I have a solid catch and shoot 3-ball and mid-range pull up.

JW- What do you feel you need to work on in order to get better?

RB- With the way the NBA has changed, the biggest thing to get better at is shooting and range. I can always get better at shooting especially getting it off quickly to prepare for the next level. I need to work on my body and put on some weight. Lastly, I want to get better at ball handling and playing lower, especially coming off of screens. I have a pretty good IQ, but if I really want to start utilizing my body I need to get stronger and play lower.

JW- What do you hope to accomplish on the court over your collegiate career?

RB- I want to continuously get better over my years at UNLV and bring the culture back to what it once was and that all stems from winning. I want to be a part of the reason kids in the classes below me to start getting intrigued by coming to play at UNLV. In order to do that we have to win. We have a great group of guys and a great coaching staff so I know we’re more than capable of doing it.

JW- What are you hoping to get out of your collegiate experience off the court?

RB- I want to utilize as many resources as possible and get the best education that I can. I’m confident in my abilities to shake the right hands and make the right connections in order to do that and Vegas is one of the best places to get that done.

JW- Talk a little bit about who you look up to in basketball, life, and how that got you to where you are.

RB- My family is who I look up to and what keeps me going. My father played in the NFL for 9 years and having someone who played at the highest level helps a lot and he has given me lots of advice mentally and physically. My mom supports me so much whether she’s yelling at me to get my shot right or helping me out mentally, she has always been there for me.

My older sister plays ball in college and we have been working out together since I was in fourth grade. She’s the hardest working person I’ve ever met. My grandparents try their best to get to or watch every single one of my games and I call them after. My grandfather will give me a lot of tips and advice since he played ball too. I have such a great support system and I’m beyond appreciative of it all.

JW- What’s your message to Rebel fans?

RB- I’m really excited to start playing in the Thomas and Mack Center where we’re going to bring fun, fast-paced basketball back to Vegas!

 

 

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