When Brian Brown was growing up, he had two options: the street or anyplace else. Brown, a senior guard for Ohio State, grew up in the rough side of Brooklyn, where ending up on the streets was a common occurrence. However, Brown found an outlet that allowed him to turn his attention elsewhere.
“I got my start [playing basketball] when I joined the Boys and Girls Club in my neighborhood. It was a way for me to put my focus away from the street,” said Brown. “Ending up in the street was something for people to worry about, but I was able to get involved in basketball, which kept me occupied.”
While Brown found the Boys and Girls Club provided a new activity for him, he found out something else — he had talent.
Brown took his talent to the next step when he played high-school ball at Bishop Loughlin in Brooklyn, where it soon became apparent he was good enough to move to the college level. Ending up at Ohio State was a stroke of luck.
Brown had initially wanted to go to Providence to play ball, but when someone else was signed ahead of him and high-school teammate Will Dudley had mentioned how much he liked his visit to Ohio State, Brown decided to explore the possibility of becoming a Buckeye.
“I thought when I came [to Columbus] that I would be surrounded by farmland,” said Brown. “But when I came here on my visit, I really liked it and knew this is where I was going to play.”
Brown and good friend Dudley packed their bags and left Brooklyn for much greener pastures in Ohio. While Dudley redshirted his freshman year due to injury, Brown learned the Buckeye system well enough to make his presence known on the court at tournament time.
Brown’s play in the Big Ten tournament convinced head coach Jim O’Brien to make him a starter for the NCAA tournament. Brown started all five games, including a Final Four appearance against Connecticut. In those five contests, he averaged 5.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and just 1.6 turnovers in 28 minutes of playing time.
“I’m not going to lie — I was nervous as hell when I started [the NCAA tournament] games,” Brown said. “Coach didn’t tell us too far ahead of time who was starting those games, and when I saw my name on the list, I thought it was a mistake. Turns out it wasn’t.”
With the freshman jitters out of the way, Brown started every game from there on. He credits his maturity and leadership to former teammates. Scoonie Penn and Michael Redd, both drafted in the NBA, were part of the Ohio State backcourt during Brown’s first two years, and he took advantage of that time with them.
“Playing behind guys like Penn and Redd really helped me [mature] on the court,” said Brown. “They were great guys to suit up next to.”
Now well into his senior year, Brown, in his second year at captain, has been the cornerstone that has helped lead the No. 21 Buckeyes (17-3, 8-1 Big Ten) to the top of the conference charts. His 14.9 ppg and 32.5 minutes per contest shine on a team that was predicted to finish in the middle of the Big Ten. The Buckeyes have surprised everyone but themselves.
“I can’t say that my teammates and I are surprised at our play in the Big Ten,” said Brown. “We knew that we could achieve what we have so far. We just need to keep playing hard and keep our heads in the game.”
Brown is hoping to keep his team on top of the conference when he and the rest of the Buckeyes make a stop in Madison tonight to take on the Badgers (12-11, 5-5 Big Ten). Wisconsin, the loser in three of its last four, is looking to end its two-game losing streak and maintain its fourth-place conference standing. This will be the only regular-season meeting between the two teams, and it kicks off a four-game road trip for OSU. The Buckeyes have won six of the last seven meetings against Wisconsin. However, the Badgers did beat OSU at the Kohl Center last season.
As the conference season winds down, Brown has learned to realize each opportunity he is granted takes him one step closer to his dream of playing in the NBA or overseas. While a future playing professionally is still uncertain, one thing is for sure: Brown is a long way away from the streets.
