Mr. Basketball Finalist: Kaden Brown

A pair of state champion guards, GR Catholic Central’s Kaden Brown and Williamston’s Mason Docks.

One of from from the vault, as the Dead would say, the evolution of Mr. Basketball finalist Kaden Brown, the senior guard from Grand Rapids  Catholic Central. The first of five, a deep dive back to before the Cougars’ all-time scoring leader had entered high school, to an outdoor run til the man took down the rims. He aspires to join McDonald’s slam dunk and NBA champion Matt Steigenga, MHSAA’s No, 7 all-time scorer and No 3 all-time in assists Drew Neitzel and two-time state champion and WMU all-time scorer David Kool as Grand Rapids Mr. Basketballs. He’s signed with Wright State.

Michigan’s Top Dozen Senior Shooters, Sept. 22:  A 6-foot guard shooting his way to multiple D1 offers has to be talented, and Brown certainly is having played in back-to-back state championship games. Wright State won the services of this get-rich-quick gunner, who led D2 runner-up GRCC with 21 points per game while shooting .504 overall and .414 from behind the line.

Live Round Two More MVPs, April 22: To go out and earn an offer as a 6-0 guard in the face of the portal, you gotta be cooking and Kaden Brown burned down the kitchen for DTO’s 17U. He scored 34 on eight 3s in one game, and 34 on six 3s in a one-point win in Kansas City, where DTO went 4-0. The Grand Rapids Catholic Central 2023 came away with an offer from Toledo. That’s his second MAC offer along with WMU. Brown is a valuable recruit because not only is he a high-end shooter, but he’s also a true all-around scorer who even if his three-point hand goes cold can cobble together 20+ by various means … volume shooting with high makes; volume shooting with high misses; single-digit fgas; double-digit ftas. At GRCC Brown is used to playing with talent, and fits in well with DTO complemented by their longer, athletic 2023s on the wing like 6-4 Caron Williams from L’anse Creuse, 6-6 Chris Williams from Ferndale and 6-6 Jotham Nweke from Detroit Loyola.

Class of 2023 Standouts: BCAM/GVSU, June 21: Coming off big scoring stints en route to CC’s D2 state championship, Brown was certainly a known name. He may have helped himself most by coaches being able to see him in the flesh and not video, as he’s beefing up and maturing as an athlete, which is more readily apparent in person. Which has made him a more athletic, to go along with an already creative and aggressive, driver and finisher. Stylistically you’d think he were more of a volume shooter, yet he is able to get his while playing alongside maybe the state’s most talented overall roster. No team made the extra pass as often as the Cougars at this camp, with Brown firmly part of that crew.

2023 Guards Solidify D1 Bonafides in Early AAU, April 21: A natural scoring touch with a combination of fundamentals and flair, fresh off an MHSAA D2 state title. Two weeks ago in Indianapolis he went off against City Rocks, and EYBL program from New York, with 43 points. Brown had a 28-point game in the same tournament. In the world Steph Curry created, an obvious mid-major recruit with how Brown creates space and is superiorly skilled on offense.

All-time Ending to Rivalry Game, Feb. 21: Kaden Brown was the game’s high scorer with 14 points. He was the smallest player on the court — also the fastest player, quickest shot release and deepest range, so it evens out. While Durral Brooks is the primary point guard, Brown showed the chops for the 1 as well with a strong handle when running some clock late, and a crossover to get in the lane early. Hit a very deep 3 in the first quarter to quiet a South Christian run. Shot selection can sometimes still be underclassman-y.

Rust Never Sleeps: One Open Run 20 College Prospects, June 20: The young guards Brown and Brooks were aggressive pushing the ball, and defensively. Brown at 5-10 has good fundamentals and footwork for a young guard and knocked down a bunch of three-pointers, even when shooting on a net-less rim. Has a nice step-back and doesn’t need much time to get off his shot, which was really only impeded a couple times when Max Burton, a 6-8 junior from Williamston, was switched onto him. Physical maturation and a year of high school ball have made Brown less susceptible to being bullied by bigger, older guards, and showed some heart and toughness on the boards.

Kaden Brown as an incoming freshman.

Bank Hoops Underclassman All-State Camp: 2023 MVP, July 19: Sweet shooter, even his misses stay around the rim. Mixes up traditional point guard duties well for a young player who can score like that.

“He’ll have an incredible career at GRCC,” said one coach “Controls the tempo at the point. Can play fast or in the half-court. Displayed one of the better step-backs at the camp. Knows how to get his shot off in various situations. Hit from beyond the arc when given space. Hit players in stride in transition and hit shooters right in their pockets in the half-court. Plays hard on defense, but had trouble at times handling bigger more physical guards.”