HPU’s John Brown named First Team NABC All-District

HIGH POINT, N.C. – For the second-straight season, High Point University men’s basketball redshirt-junior forward John Brown has been named first team NABC All-District.

Brown is one of just 22 players nationally to earn first team all-district honors in two-straight seasons. That list includes Kevin Pangos (Gonzaga), Fred VanVleet (Wichita State), Yogi Ferrell (Indiana), Buddy Hield (Oklahoma), Seth Tuttle (Northern Iowa) and D’Angelo Harrison (St. John’s).

Brown is the only player in HPU history to become a three-time all-district selection, as the Jacksonville, Fla., native also was named second team all-district in 2013.

Brown is joined on the District 3 First Team by Saah Nimley (Charleston Southern), Keon Moore (Winthrop), Brett Comer (Florida Gulf Coast) and Ty Greene (USC Upstate). The second team includes Javonte Green (Radford), Jerome Hill (Gardner-Webb), Warren Gillis (Coastal Carolina), Dallas Moore (North Florida) and Bernard Thompson (Florida Gulf Coast).

Ranked No. 1 in the Big South in Ken Pomeroy’s offensive ratings system, Brown proved to be one of the most consistent scorers in the nation in 2014-15.

The Jacksonville, Fla., native posted at least 10 points in 30-33 games and at least 20 points in 15 contests. He ranked ninth in the country in field goals made (242) in 2014-15 and was 26th nationally in scoring (19.3 ppg) and 32nd in field goal percentage (.550). He averaged 26.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and shot 57.4 percent in High Point’s three postseason contests.

In a display of his balanced game on both ends of the floor, Brown also ranked in the top-50 nationally in offensive rebounds/game and was sixth in the Big South in blocks (1.0/game) and eighth in free throw percentage (.756). He led the Panthers in 10 statistical categories, including scoring, field goal percentage, field goals and free throws made, blocks and steals.

Brown was named to the All-Big South First Team after leading the Panthers to their third-consecutive Big South regular season title. The redshirt-junior has helped High Point become one of just six schools nationally to win three-straight regular season league titles, joining Gonzaga, Kansas, Davidson, Stephen F. Austin and Harvard.

Brown and the Panthers took the HPU program to new heights in 2014-15. High Point set new Div. I school records this season in wins (23), road wins (9) and Big South road wins (6) while reaching the post-season for a school-record third straight season. HPU’s win over UMES in the first round of the 2015 CollegeInsider.com Tournament marked the first Div. I postseason victory in school history.

The Panthers started the season 17-5 for the first time since 1995-96 and began Big South play 8-2 for the first time in program history.

Brown now becomes a two-time All-American after earning AP All-America accolades in 2014. In 2013-14, Brown also took home Big South Player of the Year, NABC All-District first team and NCCSIA All-State accolades, while becoming the first player in Big South history to score 1,000 points before the end of his sophomore season.

He is one of just four players in Big South history to post at least 1,600 points, 500 rebounds, 100 blocks, 100 assists and 100 steals in a career. He currently ranks sixth all-time at High Point with 1,680 career points (third in Div. I history) and is fifth all-time in field goals made (646). Brown also is second all-time in school history in blocks (118), fourth in free throws made (388), fourth in games started (88) and fifth in steals (134).

One of the most electric players in the nation, Brown has appeared on ESPN SportsCenter’s Top-10 plays 10 times in his career, and his Feb. 6 dunk at Coastal Carolina this season went viral, reaching more than 2.5 million Twitter users. He’s received national recognition this season from ESPN’s Jay Bilas, Dana O’Neil and Jeff Goodman, as well as NBCSports.com’s Rob Dauster and CBSSports.com’s Matt Norlander. In February, Brown was featured in an in-depth profile by Sports Illustrated’s Luke Winn.

Two-time NABC First Team Selections (2014, 2015)
John Brown, High Point University
Treveon Graham, VCU
D’Angelo Harrison, St. John’s
Buddy Hield, Oklahoma
Brad Waldow, St. Mary’s
Kevin Pangos, Gonzaga
Tyler Haws, BYU
Yogi Ferrell, Indiana
Marcus Thornton, William & Mary
Julius Brown, Toledo
David Brown, Western Michigan
Keifer Sykes, Green Bay
Wesley Saunders, Harvard
Justin Sears, Yale
Seth Tuttle, Northern Iowa
Fred VanVleet, Wichita State
Ron Baker, Wichita State
Larry Nance, Jr., Wyoming
Cameron Payne, Murray State
Karl Cochran, Wofford
Jalan West, Northwestern State
Jacob Parker, Stephen F. Austin
Nic Moore, SMU

2014-15 NABC District 3 All-District Teams
First Team
John Brown, High Point University
Saah Nimley, Charleston Southern
Keon Moore, Winthrop
Brett Comer, Florida Gulf Coast
Ty Greene, USC Upsdtate

Second Team
Javonte Green, Radford
Jerome Hill, Gardner-Webb
Warren Gillis, Coastal Carolina
Dallas Moore, North Florida
Bernard Thompson, Florida Gulf Coast