Brown remains eligible to return in 2021
RICHMOND, Ky. – April 2, 2020
Eastern Kentucky University sophomore guard Jomaru Brown has submitted his name as an early entrant in the 2020 NBA Draft. Under NCAA rules, Brown can sign with a certified agent, receive feedback and still have the ability to return to school if he chooses.
The 2020 NBA Draft Combine is tentatively scheduled to be held May 21-24 in Chicago. All early entrants have until 5 p.m. ET on June 15 to choose to officially stay or withdraw from the draft pool. The 2020 NBA Draft is set to be held June 25 at the Barclays Center in New York.
“This is an exciting time for Jomaru, his family and our program,” head coach A.W. Hamilton said. “Going through the NBA Draft process to get feedback will give us perspective on where Ru stacks up with some of the best players in the world. As a coach, I want all of my players to reach their dreams. Ru has done everything in his power to earn the right to chase his dreams.”
Brown ranked 12th among all sophomores in the country in scoring this season at 18.4 points-per-game.
He was voted first team All-OVC and first team All-District 18 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
He poured in a career-high 41 points versus in-state rival Western Kentucky on November 15. That was the most points scored by an OVC player in a game this season. It is tied for the fourth-most points ever scored by a Colonel in a game.
Brown stepped up his game during OVC play. The 6-2 guard averaged 20.2 points-per-game against conference competition, tied for second-highest in the league. He ranked second in steals-per-game (2.2), 14th in assists-per-game (3.2) and 14th in three-point field goal percentage (38.2%) during the OVC schedule.
The native of Raleigh, North Carolina posted 37 points, six rebounds and four assists to lead the Colonels to a key road win at Tennessee State on January 18. He was 18-of-19 from the free throw line in that victory. His 18 free throws are the most by an OVC player in a game this season.
A week later, Brown connected on a career-high six three-pointers and finished with 31 points in a road win at Tennessee Tech. He went for 19 points and a career-high nine assists in a road victory at rival Morehead State on February 13.
Brown scored his 1,000th career point in the regular season finale versus Morehead State, an 80-76 victory at home.
