Penn men’s basketball sophomore guard Sam Brown, the Ivy League’s leading scorer in conference play, announced Saturday on social media that he will transfer to Davidson.
Brown entered the transfer portal in March after the firing of former Penn men’s basketball coach Steve Donahue. A second team All-Ivy selection in the 2024-25 season, Brown was Penn’s only conference honoree and the only freshman or sophomore on the All-Ivy team.
“Saying goodbye to Penn is the hardest decision of my life,” Brown wrote on Instagram. “It’s impossible to articulate what my time here has meant to me. This university has challenged me, and has pushed me to grow and learn about myself.”
“I think you weigh up all the variables you possibly can in this decision process, and I’ve talked to countless of people asking for advice, but at the end of the day, you can only ask yourself what it is that you want,” Brown added in an exclusive interview with The Daily Pennsylvanian. “Beyond your conscious decisions, you have to listen to your gut. And I’ve been doing some soul-searching over the last month, and I felt as though that this is where my gut was telling me to go.”
Prior to his April 19 announcement, Brown had not ruled out a return to Penn. Many close to the Quakers remained optimistic that he would return to the Palestra, but his departure marks a significant loss for the Red and Blue. During the conference campaign, Brown averaged 19.3 points per game on 49.5% shooting from the field.
On March 1, Brown scored 42 points in a 92-87 win over Columbia — the most by a Penn men’s basketball player since 1989. Following that game, Brown noted his desire to play professional basketball when discussing how his game has evolved.
“I want to be a professional basketball player, and I know that I’m going to have to grow my game,” Brown said. “Even though I’m not necessarily an above-the-rim player, I try to find ways to score outside from that.”
After his initial portal announcement, Brown said that he “could have never imagined” leaving Penn before Donahue’s departure. Brown says that during his junior year at nearby Lower Merion High School, Donahue attended every one of his games, and that his passionate recruiting played a significant part in Brown’s decision to commit to Penn.
Brown is also the son of former Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown, who is currently an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs.
Penn has made waves this offseason with the hiring of its new head coach Fran McCaffery, the retention of junior guard/forward Ethan Roberts, and the acquisition of former five-star recruit TJ Power via the transfer portal. Now, the Quakers face their first major loss.
“The Penn community is incredibly special and I will forever be grateful to be a part of it,” Brown wrote. “I will miss [my teammates] and wish you every bit of success that I know is coming for this new program and staff.”
“I plan to stay in touch with everybody as much as I can, and as much as I hope to, there will always be a part of Penn with me,” Brown told the DP.
Sports Editor Sean McKeown contributed reporting to this article.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
Donate
