Harvard Gets a Good One

New England Recruiting Report | Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

Matt Brown is going to be wearing Crimson next year. 

Northfield Mount Hermon’s 6’3” guard just became the first player to commit to Harvard head coach Tommy Amaker for the 2010-2011 recruiting class. 

Brown had interest from a variety of schools in more competitive athletic conferences, but decided that a degree from an institution such as Harvard was too much to pass up on. 

“It’s the number one university in the world,” he said.  “You can’t turn down an offer from a place like that.” 

Last season Amaker’s recruiting class was tops in the Ivy League, according to HoopScoopOnline.com, and featured Massachusetts native Kyle Casey who could be an early favorite for Ivy League Rookie of the Year. 

This year Harvard has already found themselves involved with some very high level recruits, and if their first acquisition is any indication this year’s class could be just as good, if not better, than last year’s. 

“I really believe in what Coach Amaker is doing with the program,” Brown told the New England Recruiting Report.  “We have a chance to make history by winning the Ivy League and getting to the NCAA Tournament.” 

Brown made his first visit to the Cambridge campus back in December when he saw a game and met with the coaching staff.  He returned a couple of weeks ago for the Crimson Elite Camp which gave him the opportunity to get to know the current team, incoming freshmen, and other current recruits. 

“I felt welcome right away,” Brown said.  “I’ve been playing with Kyle since we were about ten years old and Andrew Van Nest and Dan McGeery are two other NMH guys already up there.”

“After the camp I sat down with my father and Coach Carroll and told them this was where I wanted to be.” 

Brown is the 9th Ivy League product produced by Northfield Mount Hermon in the last four years and NMH head coach John Carroll believes he could be a special addition to the league. 

“It’s tough to say a place like Harvard is lucky to have anybody,” Carroll said, “but I think they’re lucky to have Matt Brown.  He’s an elite character kid, a great student, and an incredible athlete.  There are only a handful of universities in the country that have that caliber of student athlete and of that group Harvard stood out to Matt.” 

With his recruitment now out of the way, Brown has the freedom to go out and have fun competing for his final season.  He’ll continue to run with the Mass Rivals later this month as they travel to Las Vegas and Los Angeles and then return to NMH for his senior season. 

“I’m extremely excited,” Brown said, “looking forward to my senior year at NMH, and continued success at the next level.”