Ohio State men's basketball power rankings: No. 6 Gene Brown III
A year unlike any other is about to get underway at Ohio State.
One year after a roster bolstered by players enjoying the extra year of eligibility afforded to all who played though the COVID-19 pandemic topped out at 15 members, the 2022-23 Buckeyes will be a team facing unprecedented turnover. With coach Chris Holtmann entering his sixth season, a combination of early departures for the NBA, the exhaustion of collegiate eligibility and the allure of the transfer portal have all combined to create a roster featuring only two players who played in at least three games for Ohio State last season.
That’s not to say there aren’t familiar faces in Columbus. They are simply outnumbered by a five-man freshman class, ranked tops in the Big Ten, and a three-man transfer class that combines to comprise more than half the roster. Those new faces, combined with a few veterans, will attempt to outshoot their projected sixth-place finish in the preseason media poll and find a way to Ohio State’s first Sweet 16 since the 2012-13 season.
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Before the Buckeyes get the year underway with an exhibition against Chaminade on Nov. 1 and the season opener against Robert Morris on Nov. 6, The Dispatch will be producing its annual preseason individual power rankings list. These rankings are an educated guess at which players will have the most significant on-court impact during the course of the entire season and will feature each player on the roster.
The list continues today at No. 7 with third-year wing Gene Brown III.
No. 6 – Gene Brown III
Position: Wing
Eligibility: Third year (two remaining)
Height/weight: 6 feet 6 / 195 pounds
Jersey number: 3
Major: Sport industry
Background
A stat-stuffer at Conyers (Georgia) Southwest DeKalb, Brown arrived at Ohio State as a four-star recruit and the No. 29 small forward prospect in the nation according to ESPN. During his time with the Panthers, Brown helped the team win regional championships three times and led the only two teams in school history to consecutive state final four appearances. During his first three years of high school, Brown averaged 9.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game before suffering a broken tibia in his left leg as a junior. In five games that season, Brown averaged 13.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists prior to the injury.
As a senior, he returned to the same gym where he suffered the injury and finished with 27 points and 12 rebounds in a 56-55 overtime win. He committed to the Buckeyes from a list of six finalists that also included Butler, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Louisville and Texas A&M. In 97 career games, he scored 1,120 points, grabbed 584 rebounds and recorded 149 steals, 139 assists and 138 blocks.
After the leg injury, Brown arrived at Ohio State ranked as the No. 143 national prospect according to the 247Sports.com composite database, the No. 23 shooting guard in the nation and the No. 9 player from Georgia. Prior to the injury, he had been ranked as highly as No. 79 overall.
As a freshman during the 2020-21 season, Brown’s biggest individual performance came during a 77-70 win against UCLA as part of the CBSSports Classic inside Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland. There, he hit each of his three three-point attempts to help fend off the Bruins, earning the nickname “Downtown Eugene Brown” in the process.
Although he would appear in 29 of Ohio State’s 31 games, those nine points would be a season high for Brown. He scored 35 points (1.2 per game), shot 35.1% (13 for 37) from the floor and 28.0% (7 for 25) from three while grabbing 1.3 rebounds per game. Following the season, Brown had a serious spring battle with COVID-19 that required two hospitalizations during a 17-day period.
In two seasons at Ohio State, Brown has averaged 2.3 points and 1.8 rebounds and shot 41.2% from the floor in 55 games.
2021-22 season recap
Slowed during the offseason due to his fight with COVID, Brown had ground to make up when the Buckeyes opened the preseason but was starting carve out a role for himself when he snatched a rebound at Xavier on Nov. 18 and had to leave the game with a concussion that would cost him the next four games. One game prior, he had scored a career-high 12 points in a blowout home win against Bowling Green. Against the Musketeers, Brown was a force on the glass, leaving after only 11 minutes of playing time but finishing with the team lead in boards in a six-point loss. He wouldn’t return until a Dec. 6 win against Towson.
It was an unfortunate foreshadowing of more to come for Brown. After averaging 1.9 points through his first 10 games entering a Jan. 16 home game with Penn State, he averaged 7.3 during a four-game stretch capped by a 9-point effort in a road loss to Purdue. He would miss the next two games, though, with a turf toe-like injury that had him in a walking boot.
When he returned for a Feb. 12 game at Michigan, Brown wasn’t just back – he was a starter for the first time in his career, and he pulled down eight defensive rebounds to help Ohio State to a 68-57 win. His ability to switch defensively and use his athleticism to attack the glass kept him in the starting lineup for the next eight games, but his rebounding totals dipped and he left and returned to the lineup in the final four games, starting both of Ohio State’s NCAA Tournament games.
In 26 games including 10 starts, Brown averaged 3.5 points and 2.4 rebounds while shooting 44.2% (34 for 77) from the floor and 22.9% (8 for 35) from 3.
Need to know
Brown spent time during the summer working with local kids as part of a Bucks Go Pro internship to help prepare himself for life after basketball. He has signed with The Foundation collective to capitalize on his name, image and likeness rights and recently spent a morning visiting with children with disabilities at Lifetown Columbus. He has created his own YouTube channel, “VibingWithEB3”, that shows viewers what life is like behind the scenes of Division I athletics.
Brown does not have a middle name and is afraid of small holes, a fear known as Trypophobia. His full name is Eugene but said he doesn't have a preference what others call him. He has listed Young Thug as his favorite musical artist of all-time. Brown finished in the top 10% of his graduating class, scored an 1100 on his SAT, earned the David Mitchell Community Service Scholarship and Barack Obama Leadership Award and was selected to the National Society of High School Scholars. Brown was coached by his father, Eugene Brown Jr., in high school.
If he wasn’t playing basketball, Brown would likely be playing baseball instead. He was an accomplished player on the diamond until giving up the sport around age 13 to solely focus on hoops.
2022-23 season outlook
Given his overall offensive production, Brown’s lofty ranking might come as a surprise. But on a team with so many question marks and new faces looking to solidify roles at this level, a healthy Brown provides a defensive presence coach Chris Holtmann feels is especially valuable.
The key for Brown is simply staying fully healthy. Dating back to the leg injury in high school, he has dealt with COVID, a concussion, a turf toe-type of injury, a groin injury that cost him time this summer and limited his participation during the trip to the Bahamas and another unspecified injury that has limited some of his availability this preseason. That’s a lot of missed development time.
Last season, Brown showed that he can change a game with his rebounding capabilities, particularly on the defensive end. He’s one of the most explosive players on the team whose size and versatility should allow him to defend multiple positions at a higher level this year compared to a season ago. One of only two players to have seen action in more than two games last season, Brown has been in the running for a captain’s role this year.
“I feel ready,” he said at preseason media day. “I’ve been a leader all through high school. I think coming in here and accepting the role of leader and all the guys guiding the team, it shouldn’t be too much of a jump for me.”
But there is work to be done. Brown has shown an ability to shoot from the perimeter at times, but not consistently. During Ohio State’s trip to the Bahamas, he displayed an ability to put the ball on the floor, drive and finish at the rim that he hasn’t yet shown in games. While there, he scored 5 points on 2-of-6 shooting and grabbed six rebounds.
His aim is to expand his game this season.
“Of course defense is what I bank on,” Brown said. “That’s what gets you on the court. Expanding that into a little more of an offensive role and being able to provide more for the team on that side of the ball is what I’ve been working on.”
He’s got the physical tools to take it to the next level. He’ll open the season with the opportunity to do so.
Additional reading
Gene Brown III: With Bucks Go Pro internship, Ohio State's Gene Brown ready to test waters of real world
Gene Brown III: Ohio State signee Gene Brown puts injury behind him
COVID-19: After beating COVID, Ohio State's Gene Brown making up for lost time
Gene Brown IIIOn Father's Day, Buckeyes 'juniors' celebrate bonds with the dads whose names they share
Gene Brown III: Freshmen Zed Key, Gene Brown turn limited chances into success for Ohio State basketball
Ohio State Buckeyes: As practice begins, one looming question for each Ohio State player
Ohio State Buckeyes: One thought on each Ohio State player to see action in the Bahamas
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State basketball power rankings: No. 6 Gene Brown III
