Kentucky Wesleyan bolstered its size and depth on Wednesday as head coach Happy Osborne officially announced the addition of 6-foot-11 transfer Alex Brown.
Brown comes to KWC via San Jose State, where he played his junior season, and John A. Logan Junior College.
He committed to KWC earlier in the summer and even played with the team in the Dust Bowl tournament in July, but an undisclosed paperwork issue with the NCAA held up any official announcement.
"He's long, he's athletic, he can really run," Osborne said of his new center. "He's got to majorly improve his back-to-the-basket moves, but his length and his athleticism give him a chance to be a real good player. It's going to be a challenge to our coaches to make him where he's better with his back to the basket. If he can do that, he's got a chance at really helping our team."
Brown, a native of Colp, Ill., averaged 4.6 points, 1.9 blocks and 4.7 rebounds in 21.6 minutes per game at SJSU.
He proved to be one of the key players on KWC's Dust Bowl team, emerging as a shot-blocking machine while also showing he can be an efficient scorer.
Osborne said one of his main strengths is how well he runs the floor, both offensively and defensively. He'll likely cause plenty of match-up problems this season, he said.
"What he gives you is, I think you're going to have to deal with him defensively," Osborne said. "It's going to be interesting to see how he handles 6-8, 260 (pounds) because he probably doesn't weigh 215 pounds. But, they've got to catch him, too. I'm hoping he's a guy that, if the other team gets it, all he's going to hear is run down the middle of the floor."
Brown is the third player to sign with KWC under Osborne. Devin Langford, a 6-foot-7 wing transfer from Illinois, and Ken-Jah Bosley, a 6-foot-1 guard from Kentucky state champion Madison Central
High School, signed earlier this summer.
With the addition of Brown, Osborne likes the way his first squad is shaping up.
"I think him and (Dominique Dawson) give us a pretty decent twosome in there, then I think Donovan Johnson gives you another, just a completely different post too," Osborne said. "I think (Brown's) potential is untapped and I think the big key is what can we make him as a back-to-the-basket player."
