Brown eager to be a key spark for Knights
Just saying the name Chad Brown sparks an immediate reaction from UCF basketball players and coaches, who almost always respond with a smile.
“When Chad walks in the gym, there’s always energy and we need that sometimes,” said UCF assistant men’s basketball coach Jamill Jones, who works with the post players. “We’re a tight, quiet group at times, so we need a Chad Brown.”
Everyone has a role to play on the Knights’ thin ros- ter and when it comes to enthusiasm and personality, Brown is the undisputed star. He’s the player standing in the middle of the pregame huddle screaming at the top of his lungs. He’s the teammate who wears a seemingly permanent smile on his face and is known to entertain his comrades.
And as of late, the 20-year-old sophomore is also entertaining UCF fans with his defensive plays, often spiking the ball out of play for an opponent.
The last time the Knights played at home, Brown turned in one of his best offensive performances of the season, scoring 11 points in 11 minutes
UCF (12-4 overall, 3-1 American Athletic Conference) will be looking for Brown to bring that same energy on both sides of the ball against Houston (13-4, 4-1 AAC) when the teams meet at CFE Arena Saturday at 4 p.m.
“I love Chad. I’ve seen Chad get better in almost every game just like you have right before our eyes. He’s been one of our most productive players, especially in league play,” said UCF coach Johnny Dawkins. “He’s really stepped up his numbers, and I’m excited for him. I want to continue to see Chad grow as a player on both ends of the floor. We have a lot of confidence in who he is and the type of player he can become.”
The defensive intensity Dawkins has cultivated during his first season leading the Knights suits Brown’s game perfectly.
When Brown played at Deltona High School, teammates would call him the “dirty devil.”
“I just did the dirty work of rebounds, defending, getting loose balls. So here with the mindset being defense, it’s just great for me because that’s my type of game,” Brown said. “I love helping my team out on the offensive end, but defensively I love getting everybody involved and getting engaged.”
Brown averages just 13 minutes off the bench, but Dawkins said he would like to see more of him on the court as he continues to build his confidence and polish his game. And UCF will need him and fifth year Nick Banyard contributing more in the interior post game as opponents continue to target 7-foot-6 phenom Tacko Fall.
After leading the nation in field goal percentage for most of the college basketball season, Fall dropped to No. 2 after tough outings against the more experienced 7-foot big men Andre Washington of East Carolina and Amida Brimah of UConn.
“Those guys all provide us something different. Nick, fifth-year senior, [gives us] leadership [and] vocal [support]. Chad [is] high energy and you know Tacko speaks for himself just with his presence. So they all give us something different,” Jones said.
Brimah helped snap UCF’s five-game win streak last Sunday, with the Knights falling 64-49 to the Huskies. But UCF is looking to get back on track against Houston and build on its 8-1 home record.
Dawkins is hopeful an energy boost from Brown on the court and from fans off it — UCF will open up basketball tailgating for the first time this weekend at Memory Mall — can assist.
“We took a tough loss the other night and we want to bounce back,” Dawkins said. “We want to keep building momentum and we had a setback. So for us it’s more important for us to come back, play well at home, try to win at home and keep us moving in the right direction.”