In an unexpected move, Bob Huggins and the Mountaineers have picked up the commitment of little known combo guard Gary Browne (Ramirez) out of Arlington Country Day in Jacksonville, FL. Originally hailing from Puerto Rico, Browne is a 6'0" (or 6'1", depending on who you believe) penetrating guard with a smooth shooting stroke.
Arlington Country Day is a tiny school in Jacksonville, but don't let that fool you, as they have produced a few high-major recruits and have been nationally ranked over the years. This past season, Browne averaged 11 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4 steals per game (stats via WVSports.com). This is in addition to his work for the Puerto Rican national team, where he averaged 26.4 minutes and 11.8 points in the U18 Tournament of the Americas last year.
While not much recruiting info is available on Browne, he does have several YouTube highlight videos, all of which are available after the jump.
UPDATE: Now with quotes from Browne and Todd Washington of the Puerto Rico Basketball Federation, all courtesy of Zags Blog.
Gary Browne:
“I’m really excited,” Browne said Monday by phone. “They got the same style of play of as my coach [Rex Morgan] at Arlington Country Day. They got great fans. I’m going to earn my four-year degree.
“They have been doing a great job recruiting me. They have been recruiting me all season. I really developed a relationship with Coach [Larry] Harrison and with Coach Huggs [Bob Huggins], too. They made a great recruitment.”
Browne said he will visit West Virginia again Wednesday.
Todd Washington:
“He came in to Arlington Country Day, which is a top-rated program and he started after his second day of practice,” Washington told WVIllustrated.com.
“He’s got a tremendous upside in growth potential at that position, but you’re also getting a player at West Virginia that’s battle-tested internationally, that’s played at the highest level of high school ball and proven he can run a team, that he can make a major contribution defensively and most importantly, he’s a great kid. When you start talking about representing the university and representing the program, West Virginia’s getting a world-class kid.”