Grad transfer Hayden Brown goes in-depth about schools and his process

Hayden Brown graduated from The Citadel fourth all-time in total rebounds and sixth all-time in total points scored. The 6-foot-5 grad transfer was named second-team All-Southern after leading the conference in rebounding (9.5 per game) and finishing fourth in scoring (18.8 per game) this season.

Brown put his name in the transfer portal on March 10, and almost instantaneously, his phone started ringing. Instead of getting overwhelmed, Brown has a plan.

“I would like to have my decision made by the first or second week of May,” Brown told On3. “I am still in the process of narrowing down a top-five by the beginning of April. I’ll start taking my visits in April.”

The native of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, by way of Duncan (SC) James F. Byrnes High, is taking it all in. With over thirty schools from around the country contacting him, Brown has a few schools sticking out currently. On3 caught up with Hayden Brown to talk about his recruiting process.

“Pittsburgh, Loyola-Chicago, Wake Forest, and Georgia Tech probably stick out the most right now,” Brown continued. “But my list is not complete yet. Schools are continuing to reach out, and I will continue to gauge interest for the rest of March.”

Brown talks recruitment

Pittsburgh: “They have a lot of pieces returning from last from last year and have a chance to make some noise in the ACC.”

Loyola-Chicago: “They are a winning program with a young and fiery staff ready to transition into a competitive A10 conference.”

Wake Forest: “Wake is my hometown school. Steve Forbes and company have turned them around quickly and immediately made them a force in the ACC.”

Georgia Tech: “They play a gritty system that fits my style of play. Atlanta also provides a lot of opportunities.”

Brown’s take

“I want to be part of a healthy culture that’s bigger than themselves,” Brown said. “Culture is everything to me. I love people, so I am looking for schools, staffs, and players who are solid, relationally. Ultimately too, I want to win. I want to go to a program that I’ll be able to make an impact in, on, and off the court.”