Sophomore wing Isaiah Brown (20), whose best moments last season came in SEC play, drives and shoots during UF's closed scrimmage at North Florida.
Role Playing: Brown Brothers Together On Floor Again
Saturday, October 17, 2026 | Men's Basketball, Chris Harry
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By: Chris Harry, Senior Writer
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Midway through the second half of their closed scrimmage 10 days ago, Florida was up by 20 against North Florida when Gators guard AJ Brown came up with a steal in the Ospreys' halfcourt. Brown immediately kicked in the transition game, racing up the floor, taking two dribbles with his right hand before pushing the third bounce ahead to his younger brother, Isaiah, who was bolting the left side of the floor.
Brown 1's pass hit Brown 2 in stride and the best athlete on the UF basketball team elevated in the lane – getting fouled in the process – and threw down a dunk with his right hand, as the Florida bench erupted and sent an echo of cheers through the empty O'Connell Center.
"Next thing I knew, I was banging my head on the backboard," Isaiah Brown said.
Fact. Brown's head did, indeed, graze the bottom of the glass, but he shook off the contact, hit his free throw and helped the Gators finish out an easy victory.
Only the two teams saw the play, but it was reminiscent of sequences that played out countless times in the Browns' days as teammates at Orlando Christian Prep. If something similar happens Sunday afternoon, when the Gators take on Baylor in an exhibition game, it'll be a witnessed by the thousands in attendance at VyStar Veterans Memorial Coliseum (or streaming on SEC+). Either way, the grateful Brown brothers hope their time together in a win that didn't count was a preview of coming 2026-27 attractions when the games do matter.
"Just playing basketball here is a dream come true," AJ Brown said. "To play with my brother, that's a blessing."
There's even a blessing within the blessing. The Browns were teammates last year, so technically played together then, too. But with just over two weeks to go in the preseason, they're on track to be on the floor at the same time when the regular season tips off Nov. 2 against Miami in Tampa. Such was not the case last season.
AJ Brown (left), two years older, and Isaiah Brown (right).
With four starters back from the 2026 Southeastern Conference championship team, plus the return of former UF guard and Kentucky transfer Denzel Aberdeen, the Gators' starting lineup has been set for months. That was a given. Sharp-shooting backup guard Urban Klavzar, voted SEC Sixth Man of the Year in '26, had his rotation spot sewn up, too. So did Isaiah Brown, who blossomed into a reliable 14-minute reserve midway through his sophomore season, leaving Coach Todd Golden and his staff to settle on the eighth and potentially ninth players in their regular rotation.
The first crack at one of those spots was earned by AJ Brown and the 6-foot-4, 210-pounder did not disappointment against UNF.
Big brother finished with 10 points, connecting on three of six from the 3-point line, to go with three rebounds, two assists, two steals and no turnovers in 15 minutes.
"The gravity that AJ provides on the court, that showed up," Golden said, using a term ("gravity") he reserves for floor-spacers. "When you have guys on the floor that the other team is afraid to leave, it provides a much easier path [for playmakers in the post]."
AJ Brown can be one of those guys, based on his resume as a double-digit scorer (11.4 points per game) and 37% shooter from the 3-point line during three seasons (2022-25) at Ohio U. He did not get a chance to show his wares last season while recovering from shoulder surgery. Instead, he saved his last collegiate season in what turned out to be the final year NCAA rules allowed for medical redshirts.
He spent '25-26 being the ultimate teammate during both practice and games – nothing but positive energy – and has carried that attitude into his fifth and final collegiate season.
"AJ is always the same guy," UF associate head coach Carlin Hartman said. "Same every day."
The approach has spilled over into how he views his role on the floor.
"Everybody on this team scored 30 in high school, so not everybody is going to be the guys taking all the shots," AJ said. "Somebody has to play defense, rebound, get loose balls, do the little things that help the team win."
AJ Brown pulls up for a jumper during an O'Dome practice this week.
He had competition for that role on the perimeter. And while CJ Ingram (injury), Alex Lloyd (consistency) and international arrivals Domen Petrovic and Arturas Butejevas (both still getting a feel for the high-major American game) had their moments over the summer and into the fall, it was Brown who was the steadiest of the group. Being a 23-year-old collegiate veteran with 64 games (and 46 starts) certainly was a factor.
"I love seeing him play and prosper in that role," said Isaiah Brown, who is two years younger.
Obviously, the feeling is mutual.
Last year, AJ was his brother's most enthusiastic cheerleader. He was also the perfect sounding board when things weren't going well.
Isaiah, who goes by "Zay," played sparingly as a freshman during UF's '24-25 national-championship season, stepping in for emergency minutes when the Gators had injuries to outstanding guards Walter Clayton Jr. and Alijah Martin. He was expected to assume a place in the '25-26 rotation, but Brown did not have great summer and it carried into the fall.
For a time, Isaiah Brown was in a bad place, but he credits honest conversations with his family and coaches, plus his deep-rooted faith in God, in helping provide clarity during a difficult time.
As AJ put it, "His identity is not defined by anything he does on the court. It's defined by Jesus."
In January, after the coaches cycled through a series of players looking for backup minutes on the wing, Brown grabbed the opportunity and never let go. He averaged 6.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and shot nearly 51% from the floor and 42% from the 3-point line in conference play, with four games in double-figure scoring.
"I really thought about my own journey and understanding myself and what my role on this team had to be," Brown said. "It was about just getting better at everything, but also the little things and getting to that mindset of being 5% better than the day before."
That mindset carried over into the summer when Brown played for a Puerto Rico national team in an international tournament, then reported to campus trimmer (down six pounds and checking in at 6-5, 206) and in the best shape of his life. The close-cropped haircut made him look even more streamlined when soaring to the basket.
This UNF defender had no chance against Isaiah Brownin downhill mode in transition.
And make no mistake, when the high-flying "Zay" is attacking the paint with a full head of steam, defenders will challenge him at their own peril.
"You just don't see a lot of guys who can cover ground and take off like he can with that kind athleticism and force," said UF assistant coach Taurean Green, who oversees player development. "No one wants to get in his way."
Not even glancing backboard blows to the head are going to deter Isaiah Brown.
"This team has set high standards," he said. "And we all have our role to meet those standards."
That both Browns are in the equation is an added brotherly bonus.
Or, as the younger of the two put it, "It just feels normal again."
