DDN articles
Nov 18, 2007 9:00:29 GMT -5
Post by Raider Country on Nov 18, 2007 9:00:29 GMT -5
Brown's decision helped WSU's building process
By Marc Katz
Staff Writer
Sunday, November 18, 2007
FAIRBORN — That's the thing about college basketball rosters. They turn over so quickly that it's tough to determine how good a team is going to be from year to year.
In the case of Wright State's Todd Brown, it was a leap of faith a year ago for new coach Brad Brownell to include him in his plans. But Brownell did, and Brown helped shape the Raiders into an Horizon League champion.
Monday, WSU will begin season number two under Brownell, Brown now a sophomore of known quality.
Still at Canton McKinley High School, Brown was the only freshman recruit signed by outgoing coach Paul Biancardi when Brownell took over the program in April 2006.
"We had to re-recruit Todd," Brownell said. "When I became coach, I called Todd and his mom and dad, and went up to speak with his family. I told him if he didn't feel comfortable, I'd release him and let him go wherever he wanted to go.
"I called a lot of people to find out about Todd. Some said he was a talented kid; others said he had a broken nose as a senior and didn't know how good he was.
"But I liked Todd. I knew he was a quiet kid the first time I talked to him. He liked the school (WSU), the distance from home is about right, and he felt like it was a place he could play."
Brown kept his scholarship offer and went on to average 8.6 points per game as WSU went 23-10 and enjoyed a trip to the NCAA tournament.
"He came to see me, and I liked him," Brown said. "He seemed like a nice enough guy. I could have gone to some other schools that had some history, but I wanted to be part of something special."
For a while, Brown didn't play much. Then he started scoring more, and by the 14th game of the season, he was in the starting lineup for good.
"I didn't get him in the starting lineup," Brownell said. "He got himself in the starting lineup. He improved a lot as a player over the course of a year."
In addition to Brown, Brownell had some roster-building to do. Five players left the program, not all because of the coaching change. Seven stayed. Brown made eight. Brownell recruited two other freshmen.
"You're my players," Brownell told his team when he took the WSU job. "I became your coach, and to be honest, you guys didn't have the opportunity to pick me. If there's another place you want to go, I understand that.
"I don't see any reason why we can't build a good program here. I only want people who are in it for the right reasons. If you're not in it for the long haul, I don't want you here."
Five players remain from last year's championship team, joined by seven newcomers spread across three classes. Four freshmen — big men Kyle Pressley and Cooper Land as well as guards Troy Tabler and N'Gai Evans — are joined by sophomore transfers Ronnie Thomas and John David Gardner as well as junior college transfer Gavin Horne, a junior.
"Those are your guys," Brownell said. "It doesn't matter who recruited them. You're responsible for them, as people and players."
www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2007/11/17/ddn111807wsubb.html
By Marc Katz
Staff Writer
Sunday, November 18, 2007
FAIRBORN — That's the thing about college basketball rosters. They turn over so quickly that it's tough to determine how good a team is going to be from year to year.
In the case of Wright State's Todd Brown, it was a leap of faith a year ago for new coach Brad Brownell to include him in his plans. But Brownell did, and Brown helped shape the Raiders into an Horizon League champion.
Monday, WSU will begin season number two under Brownell, Brown now a sophomore of known quality.
Still at Canton McKinley High School, Brown was the only freshman recruit signed by outgoing coach Paul Biancardi when Brownell took over the program in April 2006.
"We had to re-recruit Todd," Brownell said. "When I became coach, I called Todd and his mom and dad, and went up to speak with his family. I told him if he didn't feel comfortable, I'd release him and let him go wherever he wanted to go.
"I called a lot of people to find out about Todd. Some said he was a talented kid; others said he had a broken nose as a senior and didn't know how good he was.
"But I liked Todd. I knew he was a quiet kid the first time I talked to him. He liked the school (WSU), the distance from home is about right, and he felt like it was a place he could play."
Brown kept his scholarship offer and went on to average 8.6 points per game as WSU went 23-10 and enjoyed a trip to the NCAA tournament.
"He came to see me, and I liked him," Brown said. "He seemed like a nice enough guy. I could have gone to some other schools that had some history, but I wanted to be part of something special."
For a while, Brown didn't play much. Then he started scoring more, and by the 14th game of the season, he was in the starting lineup for good.
"I didn't get him in the starting lineup," Brownell said. "He got himself in the starting lineup. He improved a lot as a player over the course of a year."
In addition to Brown, Brownell had some roster-building to do. Five players left the program, not all because of the coaching change. Seven stayed. Brown made eight. Brownell recruited two other freshmen.
"You're my players," Brownell told his team when he took the WSU job. "I became your coach, and to be honest, you guys didn't have the opportunity to pick me. If there's another place you want to go, I understand that.
"I don't see any reason why we can't build a good program here. I only want people who are in it for the right reasons. If you're not in it for the long haul, I don't want you here."
Five players remain from last year's championship team, joined by seven newcomers spread across three classes. Four freshmen — big men Kyle Pressley and Cooper Land as well as guards Troy Tabler and N'Gai Evans — are joined by sophomore transfers Ronnie Thomas and John David Gardner as well as junior college transfer Gavin Horne, a junior.
"Those are your guys," Brownell said. "It doesn't matter who recruited them. You're responsible for them, as people and players."
www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2007/11/17/ddn111807wsubb.html
