Isaiah Brown never grabbed the spotlight at Florida the way some of his teammates did, but his rise might end up mattering just as much.
The Gators spent last season wrapped up in bigger talking points - Thomas Haugh’s emergence, Alex Condon and Boogie Fland working through their three-point issues, Rueben Chinyelu becoming one of the nation’s most improved defenders, Xaivian Lee’s struggles as a creator, the early losses, the late surge, Urban Klavzar catching fire from deep, and the NCAA loss to Iowa. Florida had plenty to sort through on its way to a 1-seed and a chance at back-to-back championships. Lost in that noise was Brown’s steady climb from afterthought to useful rotation piece.
He didn’t get much run early. After barely seeing the floor as a freshman, Brown entered year two with some expectation that he’d take a step, but Florida’s difficult non-conference schedule kept his opportunities limited.
In several games, he either didn’t play at all or logged only a couple of minutes. That changed once SEC play arrived.
Brown started earning real minutes because he defended and because he could knock down open shots, something Florida badly needed. Before long, he was reaching 20-plus minutes in a few games and even stayed on the floor in crunch time on occasion, though that was rare because so many games turned into blowouts.
He ended the season at 5.5 points and 2.5 rebounds in 12.7 minutes per game. Those numbers only tell part of the story.
What Brown gave Florida first was a body type the roster didn’t have enough of: a 6-foot-4 wing who could take on opposing small forwards. With the way the roster was built, the Gators didn’t have much depth beyond the idea of Thomas Haugh handling the “3.”
The staff believed in the summer that CJ Ingram could help there right away, but that never materialized. Brown became the answer because he had the strength and athleticism to handle the role, even if he isn’t the long, prototypical SEC wing.
That fit mattered because Florida leaned on defense, and Brown made that group more flexible. The advanced numbers liked him on both the team and individual level, and opponents produced just 0.77 points per possession when Brown was hounding them.
He was also often assigned to the other team’s best wing scorer, which makes that number stand out even more. Looking ahead, the Gators still don’t have a ton of wing depth.
Denzel Aberdeen brings more length, but he isn’t as physically strong, and Florida will have to sort out which defender it trusts more on the wing, especially since Aberdeen is more accustomed to chasing smaller guards through ball screens.
Brown also gave Florida something else it needed badly: shooting. He hit 35 percent from three overall, which was solid, but the stronger number came in SEC play, where he went 13-for-31 from deep, good for 42 percent.
That’s a small sample, and it would be too much to assume he’ll simply keep that up, but it showed he could make shots against high-level competition over the final months of the season. Florida is counting on internal growth from its shooters, and if Brown becomes an above-average three-point threat, he’ll keep a major role.
His game also fit the pace Florida wanted to play. A third of his shots came in transition, and a lot of his made threes came on the break.
He shot 43 percent on transition threes by getting down the floor early and finding open looks. Brown also finished with 24 dunks, which is no small number for a player who appeared in 33 games and averaged just 13 minutes a night.
The next step is tougher. Brown needs to do more with kick-outs and swing passes, attack closeouts, and get downhill in the half court.
His handle and decision-making still need work, and the roster’s style didn’t always make that easy. Florida’s two-big look and its emphasis on offensive rebounding often clogged driving lanes, and there weren’t many clean chances for wings to attack unless they were running straight into help or into a strong-side post-up.
That could change this season. The sense around the program is that Florida wants to get smaller so Alex Condon can play more at the “5” and Thomas Haugh can spend more time at the “4.”
If that happens, the wing minutes have to go somewhere, and Brown looks like the cleanest fit. With Haugh shifting down, more of those “3” minutes would need to be filled by Brown, Aberdeen, and Ingram, and Brown looks most natural in that spot.
A smaller lineup would also open up more chances for wings to attack closeouts, and if Brown can take advantage of those opportunities, he has a real path to a breakout.
Florida needs more versatility from its wings and more shot-making from that group. Brown quietly grew into one of the more important bench pieces on the roster last season, and his role could expand even further now.
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