South Carolina transfer commitment Hayden Brown discusses decision

As South Carolina native Hayden Brown was going through the portal recruitment process, the location wasn’t really on his mind. He just wanted to find the right fit and the right staff for him.

But, as things continued and the Gamecocks ratcheted up their interest, Brown quickly realized the best fit was under new head coach Lamont Paris and his staff.

He made it official Saturday afternoon, becoming the first scholarship commitment of the Paris era.

“If the best fit for me was in Texas, I would have gone to Texas. That wasn’t the thing for me. When I talk about how cool it’s been to see how the pieces have fallen, that’s something I mean by that,” Brown told GamecockCentral.

“Coach Paris and his staff are the best fit and staff for me. It just so happens it’s at South Carolina, two hours up the road for me. I think it was just divinely orchestrated.”

The Gamecocks’ previous staff showed interest in Brown before the coaching change, and Paris maintained that interest.

The two met almost immediately after that, and the relationship “took off” after that, Brown said. He took a visit to South Carolina a few weeks ago and loved it.

The fact he felt like a priority for Paris and his staff was certainly a driving factor, and the fit was too good to pass up.

“Definitely means a lot. There wasn’t anything flukey or fake about it,” Brown said. “As a guy who doesn’t want any fluff and doesn’t want any beating around the bush, coach Paris has been very true to himself and true to what he’s about. So have I. there’s been a lot of alignment there.”

Brown comes in after a very successful stint at The Citadel where he was not only asked to play well but also to help build a culture in the locker room.

He’ll be asked to do the same thing and help set the tone in Paris’s first year at South Carolina, something he is eager to do.

“I think there’s something so special about rebuilding. I was part of setting the tone and culture in (The Citadel’s) locker room that will transcend coaching staffs and transcend years,” he said.

“That’s really special and I’m thankful to be part of that. To have the opportunity to do that at a new school at the highest level is really, really exciting.”

Brown played largely at center out of necessity during his career, averaging 18.8 points in each of the last two seasons. This year he averaged 9.5 rebounds and shot 51.5 percent from the field.

He’s incredibly familiar with Paris’s program having played against Chattanooga plenty in the SoCon, and thinks he can help exploit mismatches at the next level.

“With Chattanooga, it’s clear he really allows and empowers guys to be really good at what they’re good at. He encourages them…You look back at his time at Wisconsin and he had guys like Nigel Hayes. He was probably a 6-foot-6, undersized big. I know him and I have different frames but the principle applies,” Brown said.

“He loves exploiting mismatches. That’s been the name of my game the past five years. That’s what he plans on doing with me. That’s where I’m comfortable. That’s what I know makes me successful. Obviously, it’s going to look different than what I had at The Citadel. I think it’ll still be really, really good. There’s just a lot of alignment there.”

Brown said the plan is for him to get on campus in the first part of June and begin working after that.

While the location wasn’t a driving factor in his commitment, he still can’t wait to play for the home-state school at South Carolina.

“I’m ready to get to work and I’m incredibly thankful and grateful for the opportunity,” he said. “A small-town kid from Greer that not a lot of people desired or thought much of coming out of high school is now getting an opportunity to come play back at home for the state school. I’m excited.”

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