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Sunday, July 16, 2006
Brown leaves Lafayette
Hidden deep (second page deep) in an Ed Laubach column about Billy Taylor and Fran O'Hanlon on the recruiting trail is word that Lafayette point guard Andrew Brown is not returning to Easton after earning All-Rookie honors as a freshman.

Laubach reports Brown has returned to his native Colorado where he will attend a community college. No word on whether or not Brown hopes to return to Lafayette next year.

The column says Lafayette is still deep at guard, which is true. Brown's 3 assists and 9.4 points per game will be missed. Missed more might be his ability to run the point.

Marcus Harley, who was the starter at the point for Lafayette two seasons ago, missed almost all of last season due to injury. If he returns healthy, it will help plug that hole. Harley, who averaged 9.1 ppg as a sophomore, actually was Lafayette's leading returning scorer headed into last season.

Derek Heckendorn, a 5-11 guard who missed all of last season after surgery on both shins, appears to be the likely backup if he is able to return. O'Hanlon's first scholarship recruiting class did not include a point guard.

UPDATED AT 9:10 a.m.: Digging a little more, we found this story was originally reported by Corky Blake of the Express-Times a week ago.

Corky's story said Brown told O'Hanlon he wanted to stay closer to his grandparents, who raised him after his mother died when Brown was young. Also, Corky says Brown is looking at a junior college, not a community college. That could just be semantics, but it would seem to indicate that this is not a situation like the Chones brothers at Colgate, who spent a year at a community college to get their grades up in order to return to Colgate. A Juco would more likely mean a place to play ball for a season before transferring, thus avoiding the need to sit out a full season.
Published at 7:12 AM by Hoop Time.
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