Albany Herald

Photo by Danny Aller

ALBANY -- Three coaches approached Carlos Brown after the Deep South All-Star Classic basketball game three weeks ago, and one of them landed the tall shooting guard from Monroe.

Brown signed a letter of intent Tuesday morning, accepting a basketball scholarship to St. Petersburg College, a junior college program that could be a stepping stone for Brown.

"After the all-star game, coaches from Middle Georgia, Daytona and St. Petersburg came up to me,'' Brown said. "But when I visited St. Petersburg, I really liked it. I liked the coaches and the campus, and they emphasized academics. I talked to quite a few places but I felt St. Petersburg was the best choice.''

That's fine with Brown, who has a 3.3 GPA to go along with a deadly jump shot.

Brown gave team's a matchup problem every time he walked on the court, because at 6-foot-5 he could go baseline or pull up and drill 3-pointers. He was Monroe's best 3-point shooter. Brown averaged nine points, five rebounds and four assists for Monroe, which won the Region 1-AAA title.

"Carlos is a great kid and not just because he is a good basketball player,'' Monroe coach Marquis Davis said. "The sky's the limit for him. He's a good student and a hard worker on the basketball court and in the classroom.''

Brown aspires to move on to a Division 1 school after two years at St. Pete, and Davis said he believes Brown can do it.

"After a year or two in junior college, I think he'll be ready for Division 1 or a Division II offers,'' Davis said. ''He's a 6-5 shooting guard, and they're hard to find. We will definitely miss his outside shot.''

Brown, who came to Monroe last year as a junior, was a big part of the Tornadoes' success the past two years. They became a state power and went 46-9 during Brown's two years there.

"We came a long way,'' said Brown, who thanked his "Monroe family,'' for showing up Tuesday. "I want to work hard and go to a Division I school, but I will never forget playing at Monroe.''