Wichita State recruit Rodgerick Brown says he’s on his way

Rodgerick Brown and guardian Mark Hearns plan to leave Memphis around 4 a.m. Wednesday and start their drive to Wichita.

A busy summer of basketball and books is finished and Brown’s goal to play for Wichita State is accomplished.

Brown recently finished his final high school class – earning a B- in pre-calculus – to clear the way for him to graduate a year ahead of his class and enroll at Wichita State.

Brown, a 6-foot-7 forward from Cordova (Tenn.) High, gave WSU a non-binding commitment earlier this summer, with plans to join the team for the 2017-18 season. Because he turns 19 before the season, he is not eligible to play high school basketball in Tennessee.

Brown said he submitted his Cordova transcript to the NCAA eligibility center, one of the final steps to become a Shocker athlete.

“It was rather stressful playing basketball and taking care of (academic) work,” he said. “It was about time management. I know how much work I put in over the summer.”

He plans to arrive in Wichita early Wednesday afternoon to move into Shocker Hall. That evening, he said, he will take a physical examination with the team.

Brown knows he is joining an experienced team with players such as senior Zach Brown and junior Markis McDuffie ahead of him on the depth chart. He is open to redshirting this season.

“I can learn from the seniors,” he said. “I’ll wait my turn until next year.”

This story was originally published August 15, 2017 at 4:38 PM with the headline "Wichita State recruit Rodgerick Brown says he’s on his way."