CARBONDALE -- The Southern Illinois men's basketball program announced on Friday that Trent Brown, a 6-foot-1 high school guard from Phoenix, Arizona, has signed a National Letter of Intent to play for the Salukis in 2019-20.
Brown, who is the first player to sign with SIU under new head coach Bryan Mullins, set the school record for career 3-pointers at Pinnacle High School and helped lead the program to back-to-back 6A state championships. He teamed with Arizona signee Nico Mannion to form one of the nation's top backcourts.
"It's extremely important to fill our locker room with guys who have experienced winning and know what it takes to win," Mullins said. "Trent brings toughness, a high basketball IQ and the ability to shoot the ball. He represents the characteristics and intangibles of the type of culture we're trying to build here."
Brown averaged 19.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists as a senior last season and shot 41 percent from 3-point. He scored 42 points in a game against Liberty High School in which he made 10 3-pointers.
"I just want to win," said Brown. "I'm someone who tries to make the right play, I shoot threes in volume, and I try to make them in volume. I love the challenge of on-ball defending. I try to be a great teammate."
Playing with Mannion, a consensus 5-star recruit and the No. 10-ranked player in the country according to 247Sports, has helped Brown improve his game. The two were co-captains for Pinnacle last year.
"Trent's practiced against one of the best guards in the country," Mullins noted. "He's played against some of the best players in the country. He is used to winning, and I know that's what he'll expect here as well."
Brown has a 4.0 GPA and comes from a basketball family. His father, Mark Brown, played one season at Michigan State and ranks third all-time in career 3-point shooting at Western Michigan.
"I like the strong community (in Southern Illinois) and people who care about the program and about winning," Brown said.
