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It’s a long, long way from Florida Gulf Coast University to the NBA.

For former Eagles forward Roman Brown, an FGCU graduate assistant in the athletic department who is working on his master’s degree in public administration, the journey has taken him about as far as possible in the continental United States.

Brown, who will be 26 on July 22, is in Long Beach after surviving a cut from 300 to 24 in making two non-affiliated teams of the 17 teams in the 37th season of the Southern California Summer Pro League. The SPL has produced 800 NBA players, including Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan.

Brown even met Hall of Famer Jerry West — who has been the president of the Memphis Grizzlies’ basketball operations since 2002 — on Monday.

But life in the SPL hardly is glamorous. Brown is bunking in a hotel room and dining on the dime of agent Ted Drakos while playing for Team Slam after proving to the likes of former NBA forwards and current combine assistants Olden Polynice (15 seasons) and Sean Rooks (12) during the tryouts that he deserved more shots at the big league.

The 6-foot-7, 240-pound Brown arrived for the Long Beach Pyramid workouts on July 4 and began competing for the two dozen coveted slots the next day.

“Thought it was a chance to show myself,” Brown said. “None of these guys ever faced me and I’m pretty sure they didn’t know what to expect from me.”

Daily News file photo

Roman Brown, who played at FGCU from 2002-04, has been working out since July 4 with the Long Beach Pyramid of the Southern California Summer Pro League.

Brown figured he averaged 10 points and 10 rebounds in games during the tryout period, which ended with Saturday’s final cuts. He was able to work closely with Polynice and Rooks, both of whom told Brown to quit pushing his jumpers (“guide” them instead) and to turn up the intensity, especially with such a relatively smallish frame.

“Great exposure for Roman,” Drakos said.

Brown started Sunday’s opener (the blur of a season concludes next Wednesday) against the Hoopsters. His team lost by 20, and Brown was held scoreless, but he did manage 10 rebounds and two blocks in 20 minutes.

He also sprained an ankle and missed Tuesday night’s game, but Brown insisted he’ll play Thursday night against the L.A. Stars.

Brown began college play at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock before transferring to FGCU, where he averaged 8.1 points and 6.4 rebounds from 2002-2004. Brown’s first run at the NBA wasn’t such a lengthy investment. After helping the Florida Flame — a NBA Developmental League team now on hiatus that played just a few 3-pointers from FGCU in Germain Arena — practice in pinches, the injury-ravaged team signed him for its last nine games. He averaged just 0.8 points and 0.6 rebounds in 6.0 minutes in them.

“Those nine games, to me, were very educational,” Brown said. “Most guys sit at home and watch on TV and think, ‘I can play this game, I can play with these guys, I’m better than this.’ But you have to see it in real time.

“I didn’t have the performances I would like, but then again, I didn’t have professional basketball experience.”

He was schooled plenty. But Brown (a remarkable leaper with loads of athleticism who had played only sparingly since his FGCU days) picked up vital lessons on the run. Determined not to simply Flame out, Brown realized he had to be in much better shape. More so that there are vast differences in professional and college small and power forwards. In pro ball — much more so than in college, especially on the Division II level in which Brown was accustomed — small forwards must hit 15- to 20-foot jumpers consistently, be able to slash to the basket and often guard big-time perimeter scorers. Power forwards need to be able to shoot hooks with either hand, power to rebounds and run the floor with the rest of them.

After the NBDL season, Brown went back to work. He began lifting three times per week. He even spent a week in Philadelphia training with friends.

Then he called Drakos.

“He said, ‘You know what, I played in the D-League, I practiced with these guys all season and I got a lot better; I want to see if I can take it to one more level,’¤” Drakos said.

“And this is a good way to find out.”

The next step for Brown is to try and net an NBA tryout.

“I’ve got to work my butt off to get him some tryouts with some teams,” Drakos said. “If he does well (in Long Beach), hopefully teams will want to get an independent tryout with him.”

Drakos said Brown could earn a nice living playing overseas.

“That’s a no-brainer,” he said.

But for Brown, this NBA quest is now an all-or-nothing deal. He values the master’s degree — which he likely will earn next spring — too much to cash it in for even longer-range professional shots.

“It would take a substantial amount of money for me to drop the ball on that and start playing basketball full-time,” Brown said. “And I do mean substantial — six-figure deal.

“Otherwise it’s a no-go.”