varsity news

Durham College graduate Evan Browne pursues dream "Down Under"
By Mike Pryson | Jackson Citizen Patriot http://connect.mlive.com/user/mpryson/index.html

http://www.mlive.com/sports/jackson/index.ssf/2010/05/grass_lake_graduate_evan_brown.html

Evan Browne of Grass Lake went to Canada to play college basketball, and the next stop in his career is taking him a whole lot farther from home soil.

Browne, a 2005 graduate of Grass Lake High School, is headed to Australia to play in the Darwin Basketball Association. He will leave in mid-June to begin the six-month season in early July in the lower-level pro league.

“It’s not the top league in Australia, but my agent said to go there and do your thing, play well, and you’ll be picked up and, hopefully, sign a bigger contract in a higher league,” Browne said. “I’m looking forward to it. I’ve been dreaming of playing pro basketball since I was in the driveway playing when I was 8 years old.

“I love playing basketball, and going to Australia will be a great experience.”

Browne is a 6-foot-2-inch point guard who played three seasons at Durham College in Oshawa, Ontario, before graduating with a degree in fitness and health in 2009.

“It’s going to be more challenging for Evan,” said Kirk Baker, his agent. “He will be playing with Marcus Robinson from Florida, and he and Marcus will have to be the go-to guys on that team. He might have to play 45 minutes (in a 48-minute game). When you’re from the U.S., they expect you to come over and be the man on the team.”

Baker runs a sports agency in Las Vegas but has a son going to school in Grass Lake. Baker said he played professional basketball for 13 years, including in Australia, and helped Browne land a spot in the Australian league through his contacts.

“Australian players are cocky and tough, and they’re not going to lay down,” Baker said. “Since he’s American, they’re going to come at him. They’re going to challenge him.”

Browne, who led Grass Lake with 14.2 points a game as a senior, averaged 10.8 points in his career at Durham. He was the team’s rookie of the year in 2007, won the leadership award the next year and was the Robert Burnett Memorial Scholarship winner as a senior for his teamwork, dedication and work.

Since graduating, he said he has been training with Detroit Pistons strength and conditioning coach Arnie Kander and hoping for a professional opportunity. Baker said Browne will have a job in his field rather than being paid to play basketball.

“They do get nice jobs, and their housing is taken care of,” Baker said. “Work experience abroad on your résumé goes a long way. So this is a great opportunity for him.”