I recently wrote articles for Sync magazine and ESPN.com about Marcus Brown, the West Memphis native who tore up scenes in Arkansas, Kentucky and nearly every European nation worth its salt when it comes to basketball quality.
Here are some choice excerpts from Sync:
How dominant has Brown been in the numerous nations he’s called home since 1998?
Picture Dolph Lundgren’s teched-out uberkiller character from Universal Soldier. Knock that gun out of his supernaturally strong hand, and insert a basketball complemented by an insanely accurate 10- to 15-foot jump shot. Now watch as he marches through France, Italy, Turkey, Russia, Spain, Israel and Lithuania, leaving a wake of destruction that includes at least eight MVP awards and 20 championships. Oh, and this Arkie happens to also be the Euroleague’s all-time leading scorer.
On the way Corliss, Marcus et al used to pack ’em:
Williamson, along with stars like Parkview’s Maurice Robinson (a Florida State signee) and Dion Cross (Stanford), drew 5,889 people to the state’s high school all-star game at the University of Central Arkansas’ Farris Center. That more than doubled the 2,231 high attendance mark for UCA men’s basketball last season, Williamson’s first as head coach.
Razorback connection:
By the end of the 6-foot-3, 185-pound Brown’s senior year, he was averaging 20.5 points, eight rebounds and four steals, and being recruited by Murray State, Ball State, Alabama-Birmingham and Jackson State. In the end, Murray State signed both Brown and Parkview guard Kenneth Taylor. Its coach, Scott Edgar, had been a Razorback assistant and Memphis area recruiter.
Arkansas didn’t recruit Brown as a basketball player (only as a high jumper), but he’s still part of Razorback history. As a sophomore, he played in Bud Walton Arena’s first regular season game.
Like fellow c/o ’92ers Corliss and D-Fish, Marcus Brown did get some burn in the League, though he wouldn’t be as successful there:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI5-vvmtjYQ&feature=player_embedded
Even in his mid-30s, Brown was still killing folks while playing for Zalgiris. Check out the crafty runners and precision shooting he unleashes in the footage below.
Watch out, Mid South. Such skills could very well one day apotheosize Brown, already considered the “King of Europe,” into “Immortal Emperor of West Memphis Adult League Rec Basketball.”
Yes, Arkansas’ Ballers of ’92 appear to have done quite well in college and beyond. Most know how D-Fish, Corliss and Marcus ended up, but what about the other guys?
In the next few days, I’ll be posting about what to two of them.