From an awkward junior higher to starting varsity center, Jeremiah Brown has come a long way. When the now 6’3″ and 220-pound sophomore first came to FC, he had very little basketball experience.
“I remember playing basketball with him back in seventh grade during lunch,” sophomore Brady Lee said. “He was not good at all, and he’ll admit it. It’s been amazing to see him go from a newbie to the leading scorer on varsity. He’s really good right now.”
After his introduction to the game, Brown went on to lead the Eagles to a Fresno Unified Middle School Championship as an 8th grader, Dec. 12, 2008.
This season Brown is averaging 17.6 points and 11.7 rebounds per game for a 13-10 (4-1) Eagles’ varsity team. He has started every single game and shown a proficiency at scoring according to fourth-year head coach Chris Schultz.
“Jeremiah has a knack for being able to be at awkward angles and create shots for himself,” Schultz said. “He’s very good at scoring even when he is off balance.”
However, after being called up to varsity his freshman season, Brown’s season took an unfortunate turn during the Tri-City Christian Holiday Classic tournament.
FC had the ball out of bounds under their opponents hoop. Brown came down on his left foot and made a move towards the basket and his knee popped out of the socket. He collapsed to the floor and his freshman season was over.
“I thought I had just twisted my knee and it was no big deal,” Brown said. “I tried to play through the pain but my knee popped out again and I knew there was a problem. I was very mad about it because all I got out of my first year on varsity was pain and a shortened season.”
Brown went to physical therapy twice per week, did hip raises, other leg-strengthening exercises as well as agility-building workouts. After 8 months, he started running on the treadmill and finally began doing basketball workouts again.
“It was really tough in the beginning because I couldn’t even lift without being out of breath,” Brown said. “I was tired after each workout or practice. Over time I have started to get in better shape but I’m still not all the way there yet.”
Even the simplest shot in basketball, a lay-up, gave Brown problems at first. He would forget which foot to jump off of or which hand to shoot with. He was forced to retrain the muscles to get back to his old form.
“He has had to overcome a lot from his injury and the long process of getting the knee back into shape, then getting himself into basketball condition,” Schultz said. “He’s worked hard, had a positive attitude and endured a great deal of pain to get to this place.”
“I think that Jeremiah can only get better,” Schultz said. “He needs to improve his fundamentals, including stance, free-throw shooting and body positioning. But if he’s committed to working on those areas, then he will put himself in a position to not only be successful on the high school level, but be able to think about the next level as well.”
According to Brown, the best part about basketball is getting to hang out with friends.
“Playing with him is a lot of fun because he cracks a lot of jokes in practice,” freshman David Wells said. “He brings a huge post presence to our team, and he opens things up for other guys to score because defenders have to focus on him or he’s gonna dominate.”
The team’s synergy is a central part to its success, Brown says.
“Our season is going pretty good so far,” Brown said. “Our team has great chemistry because we’re all friends off the court and we’ve been in the program together for the past few years. We also know each other’s strengths and are able to play well together.”
Though he has dominated most post opponents this season, Brown has been put to the test at times. During the Tri-City Christian Holiday Classic, Brown faced 6’4″ and 230-pound senior David Shirey of Kings Academy (Sunnyvale).
Shirey had his way in the post in route to a 65-42 Knights’ victory, Dec. 29. However, Brown came away knowing what he had to work on.
“Jerremiah is very hard on himself; he wants to do well and when he doesn’t, he gets on himself,” Schultz said. “But that also drives him to improve and compete well. The key is always to channel that energy into something positive, and Jeremiah is learning that.”
The future is bright for the Eagles team according to Schultz due to the depth of Brown’s sophomore class (including guards Brady Lee, Chandler Vargas and Cooper Belmont).
“Jerry is part of a sophomore class that is very talented and mature for their age,” Schultz said. “They have been given the opportunity to compete at the varsity level at a young age and they have handled the opportunity with maturity and great effort. This group will continue to compete at a high level for years to come.”
For more information on boys’ basketball, check out the Boys’ basketball sport shorts, 2009-10, Part II, and watch the slide show.