Past Articles
Honorable Mentions: RJ Walker, Seth Moan, Keegan Oyugi, Anthony DiLoreto, Bryce Williams
No. 10: Roland Owczarek
No. 9: Gunnar Ledin
No. 8: David Glover
No. 7: Chris Moore
No. 6: Josh Volness

ST. BONIFACIUS, Minn. --- A few players may have scored more baskets over the last ten years of Crown basketball, but NO ONE consumed more pizza than our number five player. James Brown started more games for Crown over the past decade than anyone else, getting the nod in all 100 games he played. Coaches joked that his initials, JB, stood for Just Buckets, but James contributed far more than that as the wing player lands in the top ten in numerous statistical categories. Scoring was, however, where James made his mark as we'll see as we dig into his fantastic four-year career for the Storm.

Brown, a native of Spokane, Washington, ranks third in the NCAA-era top ten in points (1,375) and field goals made (512). After a freshman year spent as Crown's third option and averaging 10.7 points per game, Brown had two of the finest scoring seasons of the past decade, scoring 435 points as a sophomore and leading the UMAC in scoring at 19.9 points per game in conference play. That season total is the sixth-best mark all-time and was followed up with a junior season of 404 points, the ninth-best single-season mark.

Today, it would be noted that James could score from all three levels (three-point range, mid-range, and at the basket), but when he played, coaches just joked that "He was real good at throwing the ball in the hoop". That might be an understatement as James scored and scored and scored, even when it was obvious that he was the number one option on a rebuilding team. His 185 three-point field goals made rank fourth all-time and his three-point percentage of 36.9 ranks sixth. He also ranks in the career top-ten for free throws made (166, seventh) and free throw percentage (77.2%, ninth).

It wasn't always apparent that James would have such success at the college level. James was only on Crown's radar because the Storm were recruiting a player that they thought would be the face of the program one day. That player suggested they take a look at their AAU teammate and the coaches obliged. Even once the recruiting process started, it was very abnormal.

"James rode out by train with this other player we were recruiting," remembers coach Luke Herbert. "That trip was no joke, and when James arrived, I had just learned that my wife had been diagnosed with cancer, so I had to excuse myself from the rest of the visit – not exactly a recipe for wooing your future leading scorer."

Despite the unusual circumstances around his recruitment, James made his way to Minnesota that fall. He had a huge fan already in coach Inder Singh, who saw something in James from the start.

"Weird is a word that was used to describe JB's game early on," says coach Singh. "He really did have an unorthodox shooting motion and scored in different ways and from different areas on the court than most players."

It did not take long for coach Herbert and the Crown players to take notice. James asserted himself as a capable scorer, but also as a hard-nosed defender and dogged rebounder. That impression got James the call to start and he never looked back – starting each and every one of his 100 games in a Storm uniform.  

Brown didn't waste any time cementing his place in the lineup, recording a double-double in his first career game, notching 12 points and eleven rebounds in 28 minutes on his debut. That freshman year would prove to be the team's most successful during Brown's stint, and a game on the season's final weekend is one of Brown's favorite on-court memories. 

"We were at Martin Luther and were down big in the first half," recalled Brown. "We came back to win in overtime and clinched a playoff spot. I remember how loud the gym was, the crowd, our bench was going nuts, and the locker room at the end of the game was crazy."

Brown was massive in that postseason clinching game, scoring 29 points on 10-18 shooting, including a then-record seven made threes on 12 attempts.  

The Freshman would be just as important in Crown's first-ever NCAA-era playoff win just six days later. Brown scored 17 points (5-10, 3-6, 4-4) including carrying the team early in the first half and hitting four clutch free throws in the last minute of the 97-95 win.  

After huge roster turnover that offseason, Brown came into his sophomore year as the unquestioned number one option. That role led him to a career-best 17.4 points per game over the course of the season and a place on the UMAC All-Conference 2nd Team. He also won six UMAC Player of the Week awards during the season, including four consecutive weeks in the first half of the season.  

That season was highlighted by a 35 point outburst in a win against North Central. Brown outdueled North Central's Luke Chafin who also poured in 35 points, by shooting 13-23 from the field (a record for made field goals at the time) and 5-8 from deep. JB scored 18 of Crown's final 24 points in the win and chipped in five rebounds and five assists.

The 35 points are the eighth-best single-game total during the NCAA-era and just adds to the long list of records and accolades that Brown accumulated.

In addition to those already mentioned, Brown also ranks third all-time with 508 rebounds, third in minutes played with 2,778, fifth in steals with 85, and tenth in assists with 118.

Brown followed up his sophomore campaign with another All-Conference caliber season, scoring 16.2 points per game and earning UMAC Honorable Mention recognition. As Crown improved, the Storm's reliance on Brown diminished and the wing averaged a respectable 10.7 points per game as a senior to round out a fantastic career.

"It was always my dream to play college basketball," said Brown. "I never saw myself leaving my family and going to school so far away, but I felt at home right away and created a bond with my teammates and coaches that I had never experienced before. I can honestly say they were my second family." 

"James made his time at Crown happen," notes coach Singh. "Whatever James wanted to get done, he got it done. From getting stronger, to becoming a better player, even cleaning carpets in the summer so he could afford to come back. James worked to make his dream happen."

James is currently working in the auto industry with designs on a career in finance and is living back home in Spokane. He remains beloved by his former teammates and coaches as much as any player in the past decade.