For St. Joseph’s freshman Xzayvier Brown, debuting on Hawk Hill is going to be a family affair

Ever since Xzayvier Brown was in middle school, he has thought about playing for his stepdad, Justin Scott.

When they first met, Scott was the head coach at Arcadia, and Brown was just 11, meaning there were seven years before teaming up would be a possibility. It was way too far to tell, but as time went on, it became more reasonable.

Now, it’s reality. On Nov. 6, Brown’s freshman season at St. Joseph’s will officially begin, and Scott will be on the sideline as the Hawks’ associate head coach.

“It’s like almost a dream come true,” Brown said over the phone. “We’ve always talked about it. … We would never know if it would line up. But, in high school, it came closer to reality. And then just having the opportunity to do it is just crazy.”

Being on the same team has been a foregone conclusion since Brown committed to St. Joe’s in July 2022. But now that it has actually started and the two are on campus together, there have been some new adjustments and revelations.

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To start, the 6-foot-2 guard doesn’t need to wait until after the game or practice for feedback from Scott. It’s right there on the sideline. Plus, Scott is now fully aware of what Brown’s coaches are asking of him, and when the two are talking ball, they’re using the same vocabulary.

Even though this has been in the works for a while, nothing could prepare them for the real thing.

“I guess I didn’t anticipate just the level of care that I would have for just his growth and development,” Scott said. “Before he was on the team in previous years, you try to spread around time and attention as [an] assistant to all the guys evenly. I’m not saying that I don’t try to do that now, but I’ve been working with him for the last eight years of his life to help him become a basketball player. It’s just a natural gravity toward him.”

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Said Brown: “It’s crazy because he’s actually my coach now. … He’s always giving me advice, as a coach just watching my games. Now he’s coaching me, and we’re on the same team, same court. Like [at] practice, he’s coaching me. It’s like, ‘Wow, I don’t have to wait to get in the car to listen to what he has to say.’”

As a three-star high school recruit at Roman Catholic, Brown’s college decision came down to St. Joe’s and the University of Southern California. Brown decided to stay local, but Scott wasn’t the only reason why.

“I didn’t come here just because of him,” Brown said. “Me and coach [Billy] Lange, our relationship is crazy. And honestly, if I knew what I knew about Coach Lange, I would be here regardless. Just because I love Coach Billy.”

Brown’s first year on Hawk Hill comes for the most highly anticipated season in a while for St. Joe’s. The Hawks, who open the season with a tough nonconference schedule, were picked to finish fourth in the Atlantic 10 preseason coaches poll and have an A-10 preseason all-conference first-team selection in Erik Reynolds II.

Reynolds is the leader of a stacked backcourt that includes veterans like Cameron Brown and Lynn Greer III. But, according to Lange, Xzayvier Brown will play this season.

“He’s just a quick thinker,” Lange said. “He’s a quick learner. These are things that I understood. He wants to be pushed. You can never tell what a guy’s competitiveness level is like [until] he’s challenged, and he’s challenged because he’s in a gym with two older guards right now, and he’s responded. I’m happy to see that because he’s going to play.”

Right now, Brown is sidelined with an ankle sprain. He didn’t play in St. Joe’s scrimmage against Manhattan and is considered day-to-day.

With his status uncertain for Nov. 6, it might be a little longer until he can officially play for Scott. But at this point, they’re used to waiting.

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