Chaundee Brown to begin official KU basketball recruiting visit Saturday

Chaundee Brown, who at 6 feet 5 and 210 pounds has been called an “an overpowering guard in a power-forward body” by his hometown Orlando Sentinel newspaper, is scheduled to arrive Saturday for his official recruiting visit to Kansas.

Brown, the No. 30-rated player in the Class of 2017 by ESPN — No. 64 by Rivals.com — will begin his campus visit a day after the arrival of Marcus Garrett, a 6-5 senior combo guard from Dallas, who started his official visit Friday following his early-August commitment to KU.

Brown, a senior at Orlando’s First Academy, has a final list of KU, Wake Forest, Maryland and Florida.

Brown — he averaged 19.9 points (off 51.8 percent shooting, 41.5 from three) in 18 games this summer on the Nike EYBL circuit — also was pursued by Indiana, Memphis, Notre Dame, Connecticut, Georgia, LSU, Southern California and others.

At the Peach Jam tournament in late July, he averaged 22.0 points, 6.0 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game.

“I feel like I proved a point at Peach Jam,” Brown told Zagsblog.com. “I feel like I proved I belonged in the top 20 in the country.

Of KU, he told Rivals.com: “Kansas has always been good. They have great tradition. They play on TV a lot and they always make it to the Sweet 16. They always have guards make it to the NBA.”

Brown has scheduled a visit to Maryland for the weekend of Sept. 30. He made an unofficial visit to KU for the 2015 Late Night in the Phog.

Of his emergence as a top prospect, ESPN.com wrote on Brown’s profile page: “Brown is a very strong and physical wing that possesses a college ready body that simply overpowers perimeter defenders. He can get to the rim with straight line drives where he can finish through contact and hit the mid-range pull up and the open shot when his feet are set. Brown rebounds in heavy traffic and is capable of defending both wing positions. Brown competes and plays with good energy and urgency on both ends of the floor.

“Brown is a wing that will be able to score, rebound and defend at the high major level immediately because he is physically and mentally ready to compete,” the unnamed ESPN.com profile writer added, noting Brown does have to work on his “ballhandling when under intense pressure and make his jumper from behind the arc a consistent weapon.”

Meanwhile, Garrett, who is ranked No. 44 by Rivals.com (No. 62 by ESPN), recently announced for KU over Texas, Baylor, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Connecticut and others.

Late Night visitors galore

Cody Riley, a 6-7 senior forward from Sierra Canyon High in Chatsworth, Calif., on Friday told Rivals.com he will attend the Oct. 1 Late Night in the Phog as part of an official recruiting visit to KU. Riley, who is ranked No. 29 in the Class of 2017 by Rivals.com, has a list of KU, Southern California, Oklahoma, UCLA and UConn.

Other high school seniors who will attend KU’s Late Night: Troy Brown, 6-6 shooting guard from Las Vegas Centennial, who is ranked No. 10 nationally; Collin Sexton, 6-1 point guard from Pebblebrook High in Mableton, Ga., ranked No. 12 and Tremont Waters, 5-11 point guard from Notre Dame High in West Haven, Conn., who is ranked No. 39. Also, Garrett said he’ll return for Late Night as part of an unofficial visit.

Juniors to attend Late Night on unofficial visits: Bol Bol, 6-11 forward from Bishop Miege, who is ranked No. 14 in the Class of 2018 and Brandon Williams, 6-1 point guard from Crespi High in Encino, Calif., ranked No. 25.

Sophomores to attend Late Night on unofficial visits: Zach Harvey, 6-3 shooting guard from Topeka Hayden, not yet ranked in the Class of 2019; Matthew Hurt, 6-9 forward from John Marshall High in Rochester, Minn., ranked No. 5; Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, 6-8, forward, Bishop Miege, ranked No. 18; Markese Jacobs, 5-11 point guard, Uplift Community High, Chicago, not ranked yet and Grant Sherfield, 6-2 combo guard, North Crowley High, Fort Worth, Texas, ranked No. 19.

This story was originally published September 2, 2016 at 4:28 PM with the headline "Chaundee Brown to begin official KU basketball recruiting visit Saturday."