Hustle and Hunger Pay Off For Hall of Fame Inductee Andre Brown
1/23/2019 11:43:00 AM | ATHLETICS, MEN'S BASKETBALL
CHICAGO – Being a collegiate athlete is the experience of a lifetime, one that often leaves a lasting mark in the years after graduation.
Former DePaul basketball star Andre Brown is taking those life lessons and now implementing them as a coach.
The DePaul Athletics Hall of Fame inductee who played from 2000-2004 said he found a home during his four years as a Blue Demon.
"I've got some great memories from my years [at DePaul], and there are no other words but 'the best four years of my life,'" said Brown, who will be inducted Feb. 2 at Hall of Fame banquet at McGrath-Phillips Arena. "Overall, it was great experience and it was a family. It made me want to go to school every day and get up with a purpose.
"I enjoyed the basketball and the conference we were in---Conference USA---which was a tough conference. With DePaul being one of the powerhouse teams, we played tough competition every other game. It was a great experience for me because I got better not only as a player but as a person overall.
"I learned so much and built a lot of character and leadership qualities."
The hustle and hunger he brought to DePaul were not a coincidence. Brown grew up on the South Side with other former Blue Demon standouts Quentin Richardson, Bobby Simmons and Lance Williams.
"Quentin stayed up the street from me, you got Bobby and Lance – all those guys on the South Side," Brown said. "You knew when we played against each other, it was always going to be a game."
As a Blue Demon, Brown is all over the record book. He currently sits as the 37th highest scorer all-time with 1,146 points, eighth all-time rebounder with 855 and 16th all-time in blocked shots (70). The big man from Leo High School has the second-highest, single-game rebounding mark with the 27 he notched at the NIT tournament as a junior. Guided by coach Dave Leitao, Brown and his teammates advanced to the NCAA Second Round his senior year.
Aside from the games and the glossy stats, the family he found welcomed him warmly the moment he stepped onto DePaul's campus.
"Getting recruited here, I got that [family] feel from the first time I met coach and Jeanne [Athletics Director Jean Lenti Ponsetto] who was involved with my recruiting process," Brown said. "She was one of the first people my mom met and simply fell in love with because she gave us that feeling.
"It just felt better. It made my decision to go there feel much better. I knew they wanted me. It was a perfect fit for me, and through my four years, it became a family. It's always been a family."
Following his college career, he went on to play professionally for 11 years – all over the world. From Korea to Seattle and Bahrain to Mongolia, Brown gained invaluable insight that he now puts into practice as a coach.
Brown resides in Florida with his wife where he heads up the basketball program at American Heritage, one of the top academic schools in the Sunshine State.
"I'm coaching now, and I do a little training on the side as well," Brown said. "I'm still well involved with the game but more so with the youth, giving back to them and just teaching them my experiences.
"I retired [as a player] two years ago and wanted to find something to transition into. My passion has always been with the younger generation and giving them what I was taught over the years."
He credits his time at DePaul and with Leitao for the experiences and life lessons he passes on today.
"Coach Leitao is a great guy and a great brain to pick because you knew he was a good coach," Brown said. "He came from another powerhouse school (Connecticut), so it was always good to listen to him and gain some knowledge and experience. He was one of those guys that I took a lot from.
"Having been a player and based on what I know, [as a coach, I tell young players] you're going to meet different people and experience different coaches. You want to take everything you're taught, put it in your own little box and make it your own. I wanted to listen and get better as a player. I'm taking that experience years later as a coach and giving back."
All that paying close attention and the marked improvement as a player has paid off as Brown will now get to see his name listed among DePaul's all-time greats in the Hall of Fame.
When he got the call, Brown was in a state of blissful disbelief.
"It means a lot, I mean – wow," he said. "You're talking about guys like Mark Aguirre, George Mikan and some of my former teammates – it's crazy. It's amazing - it's history to see Andre Brown up there. It shows that hard work pays off.
"All those years of grinding and look at me now. To be remembered and honored at DePaul with this induction is great."
Former DePaul basketball star Andre Brown is taking those life lessons and now implementing them as a coach.
The DePaul Athletics Hall of Fame inductee who played from 2000-2004 said he found a home during his four years as a Blue Demon.
"I've got some great memories from my years [at DePaul], and there are no other words but 'the best four years of my life,'" said Brown, who will be inducted Feb. 2 at Hall of Fame banquet at McGrath-Phillips Arena. "Overall, it was great experience and it was a family. It made me want to go to school every day and get up with a purpose.
"I enjoyed the basketball and the conference we were in---Conference USA---which was a tough conference. With DePaul being one of the powerhouse teams, we played tough competition every other game. It was a great experience for me because I got better not only as a player but as a person overall.
"I learned so much and built a lot of character and leadership qualities."
The hustle and hunger he brought to DePaul were not a coincidence. Brown grew up on the South Side with other former Blue Demon standouts Quentin Richardson, Bobby Simmons and Lance Williams.
"Quentin stayed up the street from me, you got Bobby and Lance – all those guys on the South Side," Brown said. "You knew when we played against each other, it was always going to be a game."
As a Blue Demon, Brown is all over the record book. He currently sits as the 37th highest scorer all-time with 1,146 points, eighth all-time rebounder with 855 and 16th all-time in blocked shots (70). The big man from Leo High School has the second-highest, single-game rebounding mark with the 27 he notched at the NIT tournament as a junior. Guided by coach Dave Leitao, Brown and his teammates advanced to the NCAA Second Round his senior year.
Aside from the games and the glossy stats, the family he found welcomed him warmly the moment he stepped onto DePaul's campus.
"Getting recruited here, I got that [family] feel from the first time I met coach and Jeanne [Athletics Director Jean Lenti Ponsetto] who was involved with my recruiting process," Brown said. "She was one of the first people my mom met and simply fell in love with because she gave us that feeling.
"It just felt better. It made my decision to go there feel much better. I knew they wanted me. It was a perfect fit for me, and through my four years, it became a family. It's always been a family."
Following his college career, he went on to play professionally for 11 years – all over the world. From Korea to Seattle and Bahrain to Mongolia, Brown gained invaluable insight that he now puts into practice as a coach.
Brown resides in Florida with his wife where he heads up the basketball program at American Heritage, one of the top academic schools in the Sunshine State.
"I'm coaching now, and I do a little training on the side as well," Brown said. "I'm still well involved with the game but more so with the youth, giving back to them and just teaching them my experiences.
"I retired [as a player] two years ago and wanted to find something to transition into. My passion has always been with the younger generation and giving them what I was taught over the years."
He credits his time at DePaul and with Leitao for the experiences and life lessons he passes on today.
"Coach Leitao is a great guy and a great brain to pick because you knew he was a good coach," Brown said. "He came from another powerhouse school (Connecticut), so it was always good to listen to him and gain some knowledge and experience. He was one of those guys that I took a lot from.
"Having been a player and based on what I know, [as a coach, I tell young players] you're going to meet different people and experience different coaches. You want to take everything you're taught, put it in your own little box and make it your own. I wanted to listen and get better as a player. I'm taking that experience years later as a coach and giving back."
All that paying close attention and the marked improvement as a player has paid off as Brown will now get to see his name listed among DePaul's all-time greats in the Hall of Fame.
When he got the call, Brown was in a state of blissful disbelief.
"It means a lot, I mean – wow," he said. "You're talking about guys like Mark Aguirre, George Mikan and some of my former teammates – it's crazy. It's amazing - it's history to see Andre Brown up there. It shows that hard work pays off.
"All those years of grinding and look at me now. To be remembered and honored at DePaul with this induction is great."
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