Commitment Profile
Countdown: Illini to Welcome Brown
by Marcia Frost, 20 October 2016
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The Fighting Illini have nabbed one of the top players in the country to join their team in 2017. Iowa's Alex Brown has announced he's signing with the Orange and Blue.
Seventeen-year-old Brown is currently No. 8 in the USTA Boys' 18 National Standings and just shy of the Top 10 in the Head Class Rankings.
Brown put a lot of time and energy into deciding which school to go to, "I considered Illinois, Ohio State, Notre Dame, and quite a few others all across the country."
He chose not to take any official visits and instead visit campuses on his own.
Brown found himself in Champaign-Urbana a number of times and found he liked it.
"I have spent quite a bit of time there," he said. "I've played quite a few tournaments there and went down for a few matches during the spring of 2016."
Brown was also at the university for the USTA National Boys' 18 Team Championships this summer, only losing one singles match at the event.
He'll be able to visit his family home during breaks as Urbandale, Iowa, is only six hours away from the university, but Brown hasn't been living there lately.
"I actually moved to Kansas City in the middle of my sophomore year," he explained. "I have been living here with my mom and brother."
Top American professional Jack Sock also moved to Kansas City to step up his training in the juniors.