The jewel of Virginia men's basketball coach Pete Gillen's talented 2001 recruiting class is 6-foot-9 forward Elton Brown. Brown, ranked as the 33rd best prospect in the country last season by Prepstars, has stepped in and proved himself to be a viable option all over the court for the Cavaliers in his freshman season.
"Elton has really stepped up for us this season," Gillen said. "He has worked extremely hard to get ready for the season."
Hard work obviously pays off - the big man out of Newport News' Warwick High School already has been named ACC rookie of the week twice this season. He averages 9.5 points per game and 3.6 rebounds per game although he only sees an average of 16.5 minutes of action.
As Virginia's schedule has intensified, Brown has stepped up for the Cavaliers. In Virginia's last five games Brown has totaled 69 points, and pulled down 24 boards.
Brown, also known as "E," has done most of his dirty work down low for Virginia. Brown is the biggest of the Cavaliers, weighing in at 265 pounds, and he makes great use of his size in the paint.
"Elton has been a beast for us," junior guard Roger Mason Jr. said. "Coach told us we were going to have to rely on the freshman, and he was right. But he is a great player and I don't have any trouble relying on him."
Brown's physical nature combined with a solid repertoire of low-post moves has made him a valuable go-to guy. Brown, fellow freshman Jason Clark, and sophomore J.C. Mathis ensure that there is no letdown when Travis Watson, the Cavaliers' other beast in the middle, comes out of the game.
"He has helped us down low all season," Mason said. "When he comes in for Travis he does a great job of holding the fort down there."
While holding down the fort in the post, Brown continues to surprise spectators with his ability to fire away from outside. Brown first displayed his three-point prowess against Georgetown. Since draining his two attempts against the Hoyas, Brown has taken the open three when opponents assume that a player of his stature could not hit from the outside.
"E" has proved his critics wrong, so much that watching Brown "eat it up" after hitting a three-pointer is what gets the loudest response from the Cavalier faithful at University Hall.
"I have been working on my shot for a while and the coaches are confident in me," Brown said. "Whenever I get a chance or an opening I am going to put it up."
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Brown has connected on 11 of 22 from behind the arc this season. His .500 three-point field goal percentage is tops on the team.
Earlier this year, leading the Cavaliers from behind the arc was the farthest thing on Brown's mind as he made sure he had his academics in line.
"I had to work hard to come to Virginia," Brown said. "I spent a lot of my last semester in high school to work on my grades."
All that extra time spent hitting the books has helped Brown become a member of this distinguished academic community. This extra time in the library instead of on the court has had consequences on his basketball game. Earlier in the season, Brown appeared lethargic because his lack of conditioning put a damper on his ability to be effective on the hardwood. Brown already has taken steps to improve his conditioning and stamina.
"I have been working really hard to get into great playing shape," Brown said. "I still have a little ways to go, but I feel that I am starting to get to where I need to be."
When Brown gets into top basketball shape, the sky is the limit. In limited minutes, Brown already has shown both an inside and outside game that has proven valuable for the Cavaliers. With Brown on the court, the Cavaliers know they have a player capable of causing damage from all over the court.
Brown himself already is looking to what the future will hold: "I think I can bring a lot of good things to Virginia over the next three years"
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