The Brown brothers from Orlando: sophomore Isaiah (left) and senior transfer AJ (right)
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – When asked if he remembered the first time he defeated his older brother in a one-on-one game, Isaiah Brown didn’t hesitate.
For AJ Brown, two years older than Isaiah, the memory wasn’t quite as sharp.
"Controversial ending," he said.
Isaiah decided to simplify things.
"I just backed away and threw up a shot," Isaiah said. "It went in and I ran into the house."
Top: Isaiah (left) and AJ (right) after winning their first of back-to-back state championships at Orlando Christian Prep.
Bottom: Cute kids mugging for the camera
"For me, it's basketball. The better player wins," AJ said. "Whatever the coaches see as the best fit for the season, that's what it's going to be. I mean, we're going to be competitive. We're going to be at each other's throats. But at the end of the day it's the coaches' decision."
At the end of the day, though, they’re still brothers—the first sibling duo to play together for Florida men’s basketball since Dwayne and Travis Schintzius shared part of the 1989-90 season (preceded by Joe and Pat Lawrence from 1984-87).
"There is never going to be bad blood between AJ and me," said Isaiah, who is known to his teammates as "Zay." "It's more like, if he plays, I'm glad. 'Yeah, go for it.' If I'm playing, he's going to cheer for me."
The Brown brothers cutting up with teammate Cooper Josefsberg (left) during a studio photo shoot.
Coach Todd Golden, now in his fourth season at Florida and seventh overall as a head coach, utilizes a rotation system of eight to nine players that gradually tightens as the season progresses.
The Gators boast depth in the front court, highlighted by junior Thomas Haugh—considered one of the nation’s top sixth men last year—who is now firmly set at the "3" position after spending the past two seasons primarily as a backup "4." Competing for minutes behind Haugh, as well as for the third shooting guard spot behind Princeton transfer Xaivian Lee and returning junior Urban Klavzar, are the Brown brothers, each battling to carve out their place in the rotation.
AJ (foreground) and Isaiah (background) during a summer morning conditioning session at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
During the opening month of fall practice, freshman CJ Ingram has stood out in the backup "3" role, logging significant time with the blue (front-line) squad during full-contact scrimmages.
Meanwhile, AJ and Isaiah have primarily been working with the white (scout) team as they continue striving to make an impact. There’s still plenty of opportunity ahead.
"They've both been up and down, but they're competing and that's all we ask," said UF associate head coach Korey McCray, who works with the guards and often reminds the reserves that three starters from last season’s 36-4 team missed games due to injuries. "What it looks like today may not be what it looks like that tomorrow. You have to stay ready."
The coaching staff also plays a role in that process.
"You keep coaching them, keep encouraging them, but it has to come from themselves," said Taurean Green, who directs player development. "They're both older players now. Zay is in his second year. AJ is a veteran college player. This is his fourth year. They know what to expect in college basketball. They've got to be able to bring it consistently. They know what it takes to play at a high level and what it takes to win."
The Brown family (from left): father Ronald Jr., AJ, Ronald III, Siarah, Isaiah and mother Sheraida.
AJ is 21 years old with 62 career games and 731 points to his name. Isaiah, at 19, has appeared in just 19 games and tallied 36 points so far in his young career. The Browns were five years younger when they captured the first of back-to-back Class 2A state championships at Orlando Christian Prep. AJ once posted 35 points in a game, while Isaiah later surpassed that mark with 45.
Winning is something they both know well, though their individual styles of play are quite different. Interestingly, they don’t look much alike either, despite both standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 210 pounds.
"You should see my twin sister," AJ said. "She looks nothing like me."
Isaiah added: "The best way to explain it is that he's more Type A and I'm more Type B. I'm going to let it happen, he's going to make it happen. Honestly, I think that's the only way we're different because we both love to laugh, listen to the same music and are strong in our faiths. We're common in so many ways."
But when it comes to basketball, the differences are clear.
Father Ronald Brown Jr. summed up their contrasting skill sets: "Finesse player versus a brute."
AJ fits the finesse label. At Ohio, he averaged 11.4 points across three seasons, highlighted by a career-best 28 in the 2023 Mid-American Conference Tournament against Ball State as a freshman (earlier that season, AJ scored 14 points in an 82-48 loss to UF at Tampa). As a senior, he produced 13.2 points per game while shooting 47.1% from the field, 38.8% from three-point range, and 82.0% from the free-throw line. For perspective, his 139 made threes were 22 more than Walter Clayton Jr. knocked down last season for the Gators. At his peak, AJ can truly stroke it.
AJ Brown (3) was a volume 3-point shooter at Ohio U, where he hit 37.7% from deep over his three seasons.
During a stretch in ’25 where he scored in double figures in 15 of 16 games, AJ’s season was cut short by a shoulder injury suffered against rival Miami-Ohio. Six weeks later, he was watching from home as Florida defeated Houston to capture the NCAA title in San Antonio on April 7.
"I was so happy for my brother. I felt like I was there," he said.
Following the injury, AJ entered the transfer portal and chose to join his younger brother at UF. Less than a month after arriving in Gainesville, he underwent shoulder surgery and spent nearly the entire summer rehabbing. He was cleared for full-contact practice just before the official start of fall workouts. A medical redshirt for the 2025-26 season remains a possibility, though AJ’s progress toward regaining his hot-shooting Ohio Bobcat form continues.
"Honestly, the Lord has been good to our family," Ronald Brown said. "AJ had other options and, truth be told, he really loved playing for Ohio. But the opportunity came up and it was something, as a family, we sat down and talked about. Even for AJ, as many years as he was at Ohio and how much he played, he understood that coming to Florida was like starting over again. Everything was going to be different. Everything was going to be harder. But playing with his brother was ultimately why he made the decision."
Isaiah, a left-handed player with bounce, logged 71 minutes as a freshman last season. His most significant action came in a Southeastern Conference home game against Vanderbilt, where he played six minutes while Clayton was sidelined with an ankle injury. Earlier in the season, he scored nine points—including two 3-pointers—in seven minutes against Florida A&M, and added seven points with four rebounds in 10 minutes versus North Florida. Of the two brothers, Isaiah is clearly the superior athlete, capable of using his athleticism to play with physicality when he chooses.
Even AJ acknowledges it.
"Not everybody can be blessed with a 40-inch vertical jump," he said.
Isaiah Brown with a run-out slam as a freshman against Stetson last season.
Although Isaiah logged only three total minutes across the Gators’ six NCAA Tournament games, the image of him in tears, embracing best friend Micah Handlogten during the national final celebration at the Alamodome, showed just how much the season meant to him.
"One of the things that he understands was that he might not have played on the court, but he was part of the program and helping guys get better each and every day," Ronald Brown said. "A lot of people don't understand or appreciate how much the day-to-day routine and practice matter."
Fast forward to today.
The Brown Brothers, '2025-26
The Browns spend most of their time on the white team during scrimmages. Facing players like Haugh, Alex Condon, Reuben Chinyelu and others, some days prove more challenging for the backups—tests that only demand greater toughness. Push through. Compete.
Just two weekends ago, the white team defeated the blue in an O’Dome scrimmage, a result that thrilled the coaches (and frustrated the starters). After a week of ups and downs, the Browns delivered an excellent performance that day—Isaiah in particular stood out.
According to Green, when they’re at their best:
* On Isaiah: "A big, athletic, physical SEC body. He has a high motor. When he plays under control he is an effective player. Just needs to keep the game simple. Crash hard, throw his body around."
* On AJ: "He needs to get his rhythm back and hunt shots. He's a very good shooter. He's got a slow and smooth release, but he's a smart enough player to get it off and know he has to be aggressive on offense. It's harder on the white team, but they've been practicing long enough to understand what they're up against, who they're up against and what they need to do."
In short, the message remains the same: keep working, keep competing—just like those driveway battles from years ago.
Email senior writer Chris Harry at chrish@gators.ufl.edu Find his story archives here.
