Klein Collins' Zach Brown Leading Tiger Band

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GULLO PLAYER OF THE MONTH
by Austin Staton

When looking at Zach Brown’s family tree, it’s easy to see why the six-foot-five junior is a gifted athlete.

Brown, a shooting guard for Klein Collins, is blessed with an athletic family that has produced a father that played football, a mother that played volleyball and a sister that currently plays varsity volleyball for the Tigers.

“(My family) has helped me work hard in the off-season to put in the work that I need to be successful,” said Brown. “Nothing is free and you can’t live off of size alone. You need to put in work every day and you need to do that just to get better so it is pretty cool to have that network of support.”

At the time of press, Klein Collins was off to a 2-0 start in District 13-5A while the junior standout has posted nearly 12 points and eight rebounds per game. With goals of clinching the district championship and making a deep run in the playoffs, Klein Collins’ head coach Scott Harmatuk depends on Brown’s versatility to help carry the team.

“I am a really balanced player and a very good defensive player,” Brown explained. “I like to go up and get rebounds so we can get out in transition. I can take people one-on-one, drive and finish. I can also shoot the three well and I have a good mid-range game.”

With an athletic and lengthy roster, Brown contends that each player on the squad understands his role and that the team’s willingness to succeed has helped the squad progress.

“We started out the season strong in the McDonald’s Invitational and the season has been going uphill ever since,” said Brown. “Each person on the team knows what role they are playing and we all have made smart decisions on the floor.

“My teammates and I know that we can compete with anyone on the court. We just have to play together and believe that we can do it. If we can do that, we will come out on top in district in every single game that we play.”

Although Brown has one more year left in high school, his size and diverse game for a shooting guard has raised the eyebrows of many collegiate programs as scholarship offers and letters of interest are beginning to roll into his mailbox.

“I just have to thank God for giving me that opportunity to actually get letters and scholarship offers from colleges,” said Brown. “I am very thankful that colleges are recognizing me and putting in the time and effort to send me letters and possibly a scholarship.”

Amongst his early favorites, Brown says that Ohio State would be his top choice followed by Memphis and Houston. For now, there is still work to be done on the court to make the future become a reality.

“I always try to do something every day that I can improve on,” Brown furthered. “Whether that is strength training, ball-handling or shooting, I am always in the gym.”