Despite being just a freshman and one of the youngest members of this year’s men’s basketball team, guard Cameron Brown has managed to hit the ground running here on Hawk Hill.

Currently the Hawks’ second leading scorer behind redshirt junior Ryan Daly, Brown has garnered much praise from teammates and coaches alike both on and off the court.

“He’s a freshman, he’s still young, only 18 years old, he’s got a bright future ahead of him,” Assistant Coach Brenden Straughn said. “As of right now he’s definitely showed he can play at this level, he can rebound, defend, and make shots at this level.”

Regardless of being only 18 years old, Brown has already stepped into a real leadership role for this year’s squad and has become someone that a lot of the players learn from and enjoy playing with, according to his teammates.

“Cam’s a great kid, we kind of look at him as a freshman veteran on the team because he really knows where to be, what to do, and leads guys through example,” senior Greg Smith said. “He knows where to be, what the plays are and just how to help other people on our team. He’s like having one of the coaches on the floor.”

On top of that, Brown is often commended for his hard working attitude and determination to succeed by his coaches.

“We want to build a championship level culture here and that starts with stuff that you do day in and day out, handling your business in the classroom, working hard on your game, being comfortable, and coming ready to work, and Cam has

done that,” Straughn said. “As we grow the program, he’s going to be one of the pillars as far as what we’re looking for from a character standpoint and a basketball standpoint.”

And for Brown, current success as well as future success can only be found through putting in the hard work day after day.

“I’d like to really credit the coaches, giving me confidence to shoot the ball, but also myself for both working in the gym every day, putting in extra work with the coaches and just getting used to the style of play here,” Brown said.

Even as a freshman, Brown has shown no lack of ambition in what he hopes to achieve in his time here at St. Joe’s.

“We want to win right now, but I also hope to win a few A-10 Championships, make the tournament, Final Four, and to just leave a legacy and bring winning back to this program,” Brown said.

And the opportunity to do so at a school like St. Joe’s was one Brown said he felt he could not pass up.

“It was really just a great opportunity for me to come here and create something new and big, it’s a great school, with great basketball history,” Brown said.

For his teammates, Brown’s talent, leadership and determination are apparent, and in spite of his age, they feel it’s evident that Brown has a bright future ahead.

“Despite how young he is, he’s been one of the leaders out there, people rely on him to just do his role, which is a pretty big role for someone coming in as a freshman,” Smith said. “He’s a very hard worker so if he keeps that up with his talent, he could be really good and special here.”