It's official! Class of 2011 PG Gary Browne Ramirez gave a verbal commitment to West Virginia University. Browne played for Bucaplaa and St Francis School before transferring to prep powerhouse Arlington Country Day "ACD", in Jacksonville, Florida. Browne has huge upside given he has only played the position since transferring to ACD.
Reached by phone this afternoon Browne had the following to say, " It's official I"m going to West Virginia! I want to thank all my coaches and all the people who believed in me. I worked really hard and my hard work has paid off. I cannot wait to get on the court with my new teammates and show everyone I can play at this level."
Many felt that Browne could not make the switch from scoring guard to point guard but his performance at ACD this year against some of the top teams in the country proved that Browne is a Top 100 player. Browne is only 17 had he reclassified he would have been one of the top 10 point guards in the Class of 2012.
" Let me start by telling the people in West Virginia that they just got the steal of this years recruiting class! Gary is a high IQ players who has had some great coaches teach him the game. Wichie at Bucaplaa and Charlie at St Francis are great teachers and did a great job developing him over the years. The credit for his development goes to them. I told Coach Morgan at ACD and Larry at West Virginia that Gary is a big time PG. It is his natural position and he will only get better. The thing about Gary is he is a gym rat and plays with a chip on his shoulder. He went to the ACD on a mission. He really had something to prove and from the first day of practice he set the tone for the team. The thing about Gary is he loves to play defense and is a pure shooter with range. On top of that, he is a quick study and loves to watch film. Put that together with his great decision making and you've got one heck of a player. We are so proud of Gary. He is a great player but more importantly, he is a wonderful young man", said Todd Washington, Founder of AAU Program PR Playmakers and Browne's mentor.
