SE: Brown’s ‘Always Had’ Clutch Ability for K-State MBB, Showing it More as Senior
Jan 16, 2019 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By Corbin McGuire
Barry Brown Jr.'s not sure exactly who, what or when to trace his clutch scoring ability back to. Maybe he was born with it. Maybe he developed it through the years, starting on a cement pad by himself in front of an imagined crowd in a make-believe game.
"I don't know when I got that," Brown said on Monday, after earning his first Big 12 Player of the Week honor following a week that included him hitting two game winners for K-State. "Maybe when you're a kid and you count down, 'Five, four, three, two,' and you always want to make the shot.
"It's something I felt like I always had."
One thing is for sure: When the Wildcats need a basket late in a game, there's no one they trust more than Brown.
He delivered the go-ahead score with 29 seconds left in K-State's home win against West Virginia, completing the largest comeback in school history. He followed it by scoring four-straight points in the final 16 seconds on Saturday in a road win against No. 25 Iowa State that included the game winner with four seconds left.
"Since he got here, he always wanted it," K-State head coach Bruce Weber said of Brown's desire to have the ball at the end of games. "If you go back to when those (seniors) were freshmen, we had a lot of games where those guys had opportunities to win games and we didn't win them. Each year we've been able to be a little more successful and finish out games and make plays."
In Brown's freshman season, K-State went 0-3 in Big 12 games decided by three or less points. The Wildcats have gone 8-5 since in such games, including a 4-1 mark between last season and now. Throw in the NCAA Tournament last season and those records improve to 9-5 and 5-1, respectively.
Brown, unsurprisingly, was at the heart at K-State's last five wins within that category.
On top of the game winners last week, Brown made the go-ahead layup with 19 seconds left against Kentucky last season to advance to the Elite Eight. In last season's Big 12 Championship quarterfinal, he made the game winner with 11 seconds left in overtime against TCU. A little further back, in K-State's three-point win at Texas last season, Brown made a critical bucket with a minute left to stretch K-State's lead to five.
While each game and situation may call for something different, Brown said his mentality never changes. When the ball's in his hands and his team needs a score, he thinks the same thing every time.
"I'm about to score. That's all. It's game," Brown said, before crediting those around him for helping make his late-game success happen. "My teammates and my coaches believed in me in those late-game, crunch-time situations, and I'm just trying to do my best to do whatever I need to do, whether it's dive on the floor or make a basket for them."
Last week, Brown made a lot of baskets at a high percentage. He averaged 26 points a game on 52.9 percent shooting from the field (18-of-34) and 81.3 percent (13-of-16) from the free throw line. His second halves last week were even more impressive, as he scored 38 of his 52 points between the final 20 minutes of both wins. He also surpassed 1,500 points for his career, becoming only the ninth Wildcat in school history to do so.
Still, Brown said he knows not to get caught up in all the numbers and recognition; though he did enjoy a fun Twitter exchange with K-State great Jacob Pullen after a video that included both of their game-winners in Ames, Iowa, was put together.
What's more important, Brown said, is what's next: A road battle with 20/19 Oklahoma on Wednesday at 6 p.m., on ESPN2. It's a place he has never won before. It's also a team he's averaged 17.0 points against in his career, boosted by 24- and 28-point performances last season.
"It's very important. It's something I know is on the seniors' bucket list. This is our fourth time in there trying to get a win. It's very important for everyone, our Big 12 record, and just our fans," Brown said. "I think it's just about maturity, staying level-headed, getting in the gym, watching more film, just preparing like we always do, getting that scouting report from our coaches and going forward from there."
Barry Brown Jr.'s not sure exactly who, what or when to trace his clutch scoring ability back to. Maybe he was born with it. Maybe he developed it through the years, starting on a cement pad by himself in front of an imagined crowd in a make-believe game.
"I don't know when I got that," Brown said on Monday, after earning his first Big 12 Player of the Week honor following a week that included him hitting two game winners for K-State. "Maybe when you're a kid and you count down, 'Five, four, three, two,' and you always want to make the shot.
"It's something I felt like I always had."
One thing is for sure: When the Wildcats need a basket late in a game, there's no one they trust more than Brown.
He delivered the go-ahead score with 29 seconds left in K-State's home win against West Virginia, completing the largest comeback in school history. He followed it by scoring four-straight points in the final 16 seconds on Saturday in a road win against No. 25 Iowa State that included the game winner with four seconds left.
All In.
— K-State Men's Basketball (@KStateMBB) January 16, 2019
Episode Eight ???? #KStateMBB #PursuitOfBetter https://t.co/6Zlg5vJMWo
"Since he got here, he always wanted it," K-State head coach Bruce Weber said of Brown's desire to have the ball at the end of games. "If you go back to when those (seniors) were freshmen, we had a lot of games where those guys had opportunities to win games and we didn't win them. Each year we've been able to be a little more successful and finish out games and make plays."
In Brown's freshman season, K-State went 0-3 in Big 12 games decided by three or less points. The Wildcats have gone 8-5 since in such games, including a 4-1 mark between last season and now. Throw in the NCAA Tournament last season and those records improve to 9-5 and 5-1, respectively.
Brown, unsurprisingly, was at the heart at K-State's last five wins within that category.
On top of the game winners last week, Brown made the go-ahead layup with 19 seconds left against Kentucky last season to advance to the Elite Eight. In last season's Big 12 Championship quarterfinal, he made the game winner with 11 seconds left in overtime against TCU. A little further back, in K-State's three-point win at Texas last season, Brown made a critical bucket with a minute left to stretch K-State's lead to five.
While each game and situation may call for something different, Brown said his mentality never changes. When the ball's in his hands and his team needs a score, he thinks the same thing every time.
"I'm about to score. That's all. It's game," Brown said, before crediting those around him for helping make his late-game success happen. "My teammates and my coaches believed in me in those late-game, crunch-time situations, and I'm just trying to do my best to do whatever I need to do, whether it's dive on the floor or make a basket for them."
Last week, Brown made a lot of baskets at a high percentage. He averaged 26 points a game on 52.9 percent shooting from the field (18-of-34) and 81.3 percent (13-of-16) from the free throw line. His second halves last week were even more impressive, as he scored 38 of his 52 points between the final 20 minutes of both wins. He also surpassed 1,500 points for his career, becoming only the ninth Wildcat in school history to do so.
Still, Brown said he knows not to get caught up in all the numbers and recognition; though he did enjoy a fun Twitter exchange with K-State great Jacob Pullen after a video that included both of their game-winners in Ames, Iowa, was put together.
Big time players, big time plays.@Jpullz0 x @barrybrown05#KStateMBB #EMAW pic.twitter.com/fkF4yU1c2w
— K-State Men's Basketball (@KStateMBB) January 13, 2019
What's more important, Brown said, is what's next: A road battle with 20/19 Oklahoma on Wednesday at 6 p.m., on ESPN2. It's a place he has never won before. It's also a team he's averaged 17.0 points against in his career, boosted by 24- and 28-point performances last season.
"It's very important. It's something I know is on the seniors' bucket list. This is our fourth time in there trying to get a win. It's very important for everyone, our Big 12 record, and just our fans," Brown said. "I think it's just about maturity, staying level-headed, getting in the gym, watching more film, just preparing like we always do, getting that scouting report from our coaches and going forward from there."
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