Rolla High School senior Ethan Brown has impacted the varsity boys basketball program since the moment he first stepped on the court as a freshman. Brown has received many awards during his high school basketball career, which would have been hard for him to do if it wasn’t for his eagerness to compete.
“Basketball [has] just kind of given me that competitive edge that I’ve always had. I’ve always been pushed to be my best, and [my family] always pushed me out of my comfort zone, which has been very crucial growth,” Brown said.
Family is important for a high-level student athlete. Their influence affects an athlete’s decisions and love for certain sports or experiences. Brown’s family influenced his love for basketball.
“I’ve always grown up around it, with my brothers always playing and my dad always coaching my brothers. I’ve had a basketball in my hands since I was born, and I started playing travel basketball by three years old, just playing up. So it was always just natural that basketball was a part of my life,” Brown said.
Brown is signed to play Division 1 basketball at the University of Illinois and will compete in the Southeastern Conference, which is the most competitive conference in all of college basketball. Brown thinks the University of Illinois will be the best fit for him competing at the next level.
“When I went on my visit there over the summer, to Illinois. All the coaches, all the players—it was so welcoming; everyone was really nice. It just had a homey feel to it. My style and their style fits really well, and it was almost like a perfect match. And the ability to reach my potential there was just too good of an opportunity to not pass it,” Brown said.
Brown credits a lot of his college exposure and basketball development to Gateway, the travel team that he plays with during the summer.
“I started with Gateway my freshman year, and it was so cool. We traveled everywhere, and that was kind of how my recruitment started. There was a tryout for the team, but their coach reached out during my freshman season. I was like, ‘Hey, we want you to come play for us?’ So those coaches and all those people in that organization, they mean a lot to me, and have always just pushed me and got me out there and got me recruited,” Brown said.
He also hopes to make a positive change next year at the University of Illinois.
“I hope just to be able to make an impact on the floor. You know, obviously, everyone’s good. There’s not anyone that is not good. Everyone’s just good, everyone’s strong, everyone’s athletic. So it’s being able to get on the court and make an impact would be my goal for sure,” Brown said.
Brown didn’t realize the opportunities that basketball would give him, especially in college.
“It wasn’t until I got to high school when I realized my goals of playing D1 were actually possible. It was just always kind of like a fun game growing up. And, in high school, it kind of got serious and stuff got a little bit more real and more possible. I think whenever I started playing summer ball freshman year and schools started reaching out, I was like, ‘Oh, dang. This could happen,’” Brown said.
Basketball hasn’t only given Brown new opportunities and experiences on the court, though.
“Basketball has definitely opened me up to a lot of new people. I meet new people from everywhere, and it’s made me have to get along with a lot of people that I never knew and just new experiences that come with that. And, you know, not everyone’s the same. Everyone has different stories of how they’ve gotten places. So I’ve got a lot more understanding of different people and different stories and made a lot of friendships that’ll last me a lifetime,” Brown said.
