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One more honor awaits East High graduate Brown
By Greg Gulas
YOUNGSTOWN
Aundra Brown, a basketball standout for East High School in the 1980s and later Youngstown State University, will be honored today at the 5th annual Lariccia’s “See them Rise High School Basketball Showcase” at the Covelli Centre.
Brown, a 1987 graduate of East, will be presented the “Mahoning Valley High School Basketball Excellence Award” at the conclusion of the East-Struthers boys basketball game that begins at 4 p.m.
“When you are done playing, you don’t really expect to receive any more honors so this is truly humbling for me,” Brown said. “To be mentioned in the same sentence and now stand among the previous honorees is something that hasn’t yet sunk in.”
Previous honorees are Rex Leach (2013), Bruce Timko (2014) and Dale Blaney (2015).
“When we came up with the idea of this award, Aundra Brown was one of the guys that we had in mind right from the very start,” said Mark Metzka who chairs the award committee that includes South Range Raiders coach John Cullen, former Rayen High School and California University standout Seth Jaffee and Reed Metzka.
“His overall statistics probably won’t wow you because everyone gets awards for scoring a lot of points,” Mark Metzka said.
“What you have in Aundra from his days at East High School and then at YSU however, is a versatile, unselfish player who was a tremendous leader.
“He was the epitome of the point-forward before it became fashionable to anoint a player with that label,” Metzka said.
A three-year starter in high school, Brown led the Golden Bears to two City Series championships, a runner-up finish, was a two-time first-team selection, a two-time all-NEO AAA Inland pick and earned second-team all-state (AAA) honors as a senior.
Brown averaged a double-double his final two scholastic campaigns, connecting for 14.2 points and 13.4 caroms his junior season then following that up with 17.1 points and 12.8 rebounds.
“My head coach at East was Claude Bentley and the thing that he imparted on all of us was to have enthusiasm and an undying passion for the game,” Brown said. “I learned my drive and had a will for the game all because of Coach Bentley.”
After a redshirt season, Brown became a three-year starter for the Penguins. He was third on the team in assists during his sophomore (67) and senior (79) seasons, and fourth (59) during his junior campaign.
He finished with 449 career points for the Penguins.
Brown credits the late Bill Dailey as the YSU coach most responsible for securing his services.
“I was recruited by Coach Dailey and really looked up to him as a person and coach during the short time that I spent with him,” said Brown, who also played for Jim Cleamons and John Stroia.
“It was a learning experience for me in college as I was injured more than I had wished and after being a part of three coaches and their individual programs, I gained valuable insight into wanting to pursue a coaching career when my playing days were over,” Brown said.
Brown’s family has been blessed with athletic genes. His wife, Jodi, is a former track, volleyball and basketball standout and member of the Cardinal Mooney High School Athletics Hall of Fame.
His son D’Aundray was a basketball standout at Ursuline High and for Cleveland State University, later playing professionally in China and Canada and for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ D League affiliate, the Canton Charge.
Son De’Onte played at Girard and is a student at YSU. His stepson Justin Austin was a football player for Ursuline.