OSU’S Branham gets early start
5 a.m. workouts part of guard’s plan to improve
There's a different sound to a basketball bouncing in an empty arena.
Malaki Branham knows. So does Jason Dawson, Branham's longtime trainer. And on Wednesday morning, three days before Christmas, the two tested out the acoustics of an otherwise empty Value City Arena for what has become a customary 5 a.m. workout. With the auxiliary lights casting dim lighting on the main court, the only interruption to an otherwise silent morning was the heating system, the squeaks of Branham's scarlet and white Nikes and the pounding of the basketball on the hardwood.
It's not the filled-to-the-rafters cacophony of sound Branham and his Ohio State teammates experienced less than a month ago as they took down No. 1 Duke, or the constant stream of chatter, whistles and shouting that comes with practice. It's the sound of steady, hard work that Branham hopes will help him continue to elevate his game.
“Yeah, it definitely does (sound different), especially when my shoes
squeak too, and it’s just the basketball, the rim, the net,” he told The Dispatch at the conclusion of his workout. “It just sounds very good, actually.”
After waking at 4:25 a.m. and eating a granola bar to avoid getting sick, Branham is on the court and stretching at 5:13. Wearing a pair of black Ohio State shorts and a black T-shirt with “BE BETTER. BE DIFFERENT.” written in white letters, Branham gets going with some dribbling and mid-range jumper drills with two Ohio State basketballs borrowed from the practice gym.
Dawson, also dressed all in black with 2019 summer camp T-shirt, continuously preaches two words: balance and efficiency. When Branham takes five shots from the same spot during a drill, the goal is to make at least three.
“If he goes 2 for 4, he has to get 3 for 5. Our word when he catches it (then), he is supposed to say ‘gametime’ or ‘moneytime,’ so he knows this is a big shot,” Dawson said. “He knows he’s got to lock in, this is a great shot to take in case his number is called in the game with two, three seconds left. You’re locking in, your feet and brain are ready to go.”
That’s been a process during Branham’s freshman year, which has seen him average 6.3 points, 3.0 rebounds
and 1.6 assists while starting nine of 10 games, and it’s one Dawson knows as well as anyone. The two first started working together when Branham was in fifth grade and have now built such a relationship that the Ohio State guard calls him family. He’s helped Branham grow into Ohio’s Mr. Basketball as a senior at Akron St. Vincent-st. Mary and a top-40 national recruit in the 2021 class and now a key member of the Buckeyes.
Their current workouts are as vital as ever. Ohio State’s players are scattered to their hometowns, in part due to the holiday break but also because a COVID-19
outbreak has canceled the team’s last two games. Although healthy players have gone through individual workouts with position coaches, Branham’s morning workouts with Dawson are helping keep him as sharp as possible until full team activities are scheduled to resume Sunday. Branham said he’s been able to avoid the virus and that he’s talked with multiple teammates who are currently going through similar workouts.
“We’ve got a game on Tuesday against New Orleans,” Branham said. “We’ve got to be ready to go. We’re not going to have our wind back yet, but you’ve got to work out to keep conditioning going.”
To that end, when Branham misses free throws, Dawson makes him run. None of the drills are overly taxing, but the steady pace has Branham sweating within the first 15 minutes. By the end of the session, which comes to a close at 6:06 a.m., Branham is dripping as he sits at the scorers’ table and swigs from a plastic water bottle. The sun is not set to rise for another 104 minutes.
This is the second consecutive day with a 5 a.m. start. Branham has a 10 a.m. massage scheduled for later Wednesday, and the trainer and pupil will get back to work Friday.
“I’ve just got to stay ready,” Branham said. “Even if I take one day off, I feel like I’m not sharp. I feel like I’ve always got to get in the gym, at least get up a couple shots. This is a great benefit.” ajardy@dispatch.com @Adamjardy