Previous Rank: 56rnBrown was often the overlooked player for Auburn last season. In a lineup of four soon-to-be D1 players, Brown was the only one set to return for another year of high school ball. Now that he’s back, it seems his new-look Auburn team are the ones slightly passed over. But as we enter the new year, Auburn sits at 6-4 with three of those losses coming out of state, and Brown has emerged as a leader for the Trojans in more ways than one. He is their anchor defensively, with the ability to guard all positions, rebound well, and lead the way vocally. His impact on the floor goes beyond the stat sheet, but even so, he still has the ability to put up buckets, make tough plays, and put his hands all over the game.

For Brown, it wasn’t necessarily any one thing that made him standout, but more the accumulation of a ton of little things. Good communication and leadership, guarding the other team’s top player, rebounding, making the right pass, strong finishing, these things don’t usually end up on highlight tapes, but they are a huge reason why Brown has been a part of successful teams and will continue to be a winning player.

Brown is the lone returning starter from last season and Coach Hansen has him pegged as one of the key vocal leaders for next season. Hansen said it’s something that comes naturally to Brown and it will be his responsibility to take the reins vacated by Tre Blassingame. As for the rest of Semaj’s game, it will be fun to see how he flourishes with more scoring opportunities. He’s a big wing that can handle the ball, nail the outside shot, and use his physicality under the rim to get those tough buckets inside.