Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Brown growing up quickly
Freshman guard showing his maturation on and off court
CORAL GABLES — The idea of being a two-sport star remains intriguing, even at this point in his career.
In his short time at Miami, Bruce Brown has already emerged as one of the standouts on the Hurricanes men’s basketball team. But he’s not far removed from catching passes on the football field, and after a few conversations with some Miami football players, he thinks he can still hold his own on the gridiron.
“They’ve talked a little bit of smack, so I’ve been wanting to get out there,” the 6-foot-5, 190-pound freshman said with a laugh. “It’s been tempting to think about, but I don’t think I will.”
It’s hard to fault Brown — who grew up playing both sports — for wondering about the possibilities.
Jimmy Graham and Erik Swoope have already proven Hurricanes basketball players can find success in football, both moving on to NFL careers after their years at Miami. For now, though, Brown says he’s eager to continue to developing on the court and becoming the kind of player the Hurricanes need as they push deeper into conference play.
That said, Brown’s athleticism has already paid dividends for him and the Hurricanes.
The guard has already worked his way into Miami’s starting lineup and regularly
elicits cheers from Hurricanes fans at the Watsco Center with his dunks and his ability to get to the rim for rebounds.
More than that, though, Miami coach Jim Larrañaga says it is Brown’s personality and work ethic that have made his transition to college basketball easier.
“I think there are two things that I think about that clearly outweigh his athleticism in my mind,” Larrañaga said. “One is his genuine enthusiasm for life. He has a great personality, he’s fun to be around and he enjoys being with his teammates. The second thing, and he may have learned this playing all those sports, is that he’s a tremendous competitor. When you take those two characteristics and give him the God-given athletic ability that he has, that’s what really makes him very special.”
As well as Brown’s adapted to the college game so far, things are about to get tougher.
Saturday, the Hurricanes will travel to No. 18 Duke (14-4, 2-3), where the freshman — who has started 13 of Miami’s 17 games and is averaging 10.9 points — will get his first chance to play at one of college basketball’s most iconic venues, Cameron Indoor Arena.
After that, the Hurricanes — who have dropped three of their first five conference games — have matchups looming against Boston College, No. 9 North Carolina and No. 10 Florida State.
But the chance to play in games like those and doing his part to help make the Hurricanes (12-5, 2-3) a consistent contender in the ACC is part of what made Miami an attractive option for Brown.
“That’s what I wanted, to help build something,” the former five-star prospect said. “I think I’m one of the top recruits to ever come here and that played a part in it. And just Coach L, he’s been to the Final Four, he’s won games. I didn’t want to come to college and not win. I love winning.”
Earlier this season, that respect for Larrañaga and his own drive helped Brown navigate the emotional day he learned that his beloved uncle, Edward Dillard, died.
Brown’s mother, Roberta, had hoped her son wouldn’t learn of his uncle’s death until after he completed the two finals he was set to take that day, but the freshman knew something had happened when he woke up the morning of Dec. 6 and saw countless missed calls from siblings on his phone.
When he later learned of his uncle’s death, it didn’t take him long to decide he would still play in Miami’s game against South Carolina State that night. He wanted to take the court in his uncle’s honor.
Larrañaga and the Hurricanes asked Brown if they could all play for Dillard that night. It was a gesture that touched Brown, who went on to post just the second tripledouble in program history that night.
He finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in Miami’s 82-46 win. And while he fought back tears as he walked off the court, back in the quiet of his dorm room, Brown was emotional.
His teammates, meanwhile, were just happy they were able to help the young player they had already accepted as part of their family.
“That was a very special thing that we were a part of,” senior Davon Reed said. “You could see he wanted to play that game for his uncle and Coach L wanted it as well. And we as a team, said we were going to go out there for him. He was so focused and passionate that night. It was special for all of us.”