Iremember it like it was yesterday: standing in the student section at University Hall during Gillen's last season with my head in hands as senior power forward Elton Brown missed another free throw. What had happened to the player who was a runner-up McDonald's All-American, an honorable mention All-ACC as a freshman in 2001-02, the recipient of the team's most improved player award his sophomore year and an honorable mention All-ACC selection his junior year after averaging 14.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game?
We had such high hopes for him senior year with a new freshman point guard from Philadelphia by the name of Sean Singletary to take some of the pressure off the low post and allow Brown to develop into the player we all knew he could be. An all-ACC selection was a realistic goal.
Alas, Brown's senior campaign was an embodiment of the entire squad's season -- a disappointing one that ultimately led to Gillen's forced release.
Brown finished his career ranked 20th on Virginia's all-time scoring list with 1,356 points, but averaged under 13 points per game in 2004-05 and shot under 55 percent from the charity stripe. The Hack-a-Shaq became Hack-an-Elton and Big E became a liability at the end of close contests.
"In college I was handcuffed basically where it got to the point where I couldn't really play my game," Brown said. "At the same time it was frustrating knowing I had so much more to give and I couldn't give [it]. That hurt my own play and it hurt myself."
After being passed over in the NBA Draft April of that year, Virginia fans read Brown's name in the news, but not in the way they were hoping. May 13, 2005, Brown was arrested on weapons chargers after he allegedly pointed a handgun at a man in a Charlottesville shopping mall.
It made local headlines, but passed by relatively quickly as people took it to be another case of an athlete who didn't make the professional level and whose career was spiraling downward.
Yet, this classic case turned out to be anything but typical.
"I hadn't been myself when I didn't get drafted," Brown said. "I got in trouble. Lots of teams were interested in me when I left college, but I couldn't leave the state [after the legal trouble], couldn't show my talent. Everything happens for a reason. It made me a better person; it made me a better player."
Brown eventually made it to Houston and began to train at Velocity, a sports facility where players such as Rockets superstar Tracy McGrady and Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson had worked out.
From there, Brown went overseas to play basketball in Greece where he led the league in rebounding and began to restart his career.
His success in Europe pushed him to try his luck again in the United States with the NBA's Developmental League (D-League).
"If you're playing in the backyard to the NBA, they get to see you more, see your growth, your development," Brown said. "I figured I would go there so they could see me on a daily basis playing games and eventually get called up for an NBA team."
Brown caught on with the Colorado 14ers and just Sunday was selected to the Gatorade All D-League First Team. He was named to the D-League All-Star game in February and is currently averaging 18.0 points per game and 9.5 boards, good for 11th and third in the league, respectively.
"My coach said he drafted me for a reason and he wanted me to just go out and play," Brown said. "'If you feel like you can make the shot, just shoot it. Keep shooting if you miss.' He gave me the confidence I didn't have in a while."
It's been quite the roller coaster ride for the 6-foot-9, 250-pound low post player from Newport News, Va. But the uphill climb is still not complete. Brown's goals remain loftier than dominating the NBA's developmental program.
"I have a number of teams that are interested in me in the NBA," Brown said. "Teams are looking at me coming for summer league if I don't get called up for this [season]. From the sources I heard, from the general managers, scouts and speaking to my coach, next year I'll be in the NBA."
We wish you best of luck in that goal, Mr. Brown. Even if you don't catch on with an NBA team for an extended period, you've come much further than most expected and much further than many before you who were placed in similar scenarios.
I had my doubts watching you at the free line of U-Hall two years ago and reading about your off-the-court issues. Those doubts exist no longer.
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