Elijah Brown is ready to step back on the court for the first time in 2016-17, just in time for the season opener Friday night against Idaho State at WisePies Arena.
Brown did not play during last week’s exhibition matches, as he was resting a hamstring injury. Although the injury happened last season, hamstrings can take more time to recover and have have a lingering effect.
But Brown appears to be 100 percent now, and the junior guard said he didn’t take it easy on the workouts during the offseason.
After sitting out for several practices and the exhibitions, the Mountain West Preseason Player of the Year said he is ready to get back to work.
Last season, Brown appeared in 32 games, starting in 29 of them, and had a total of 694 points to average 21.7 per contest. His consistently impactful performances over the course of the season turned a lot of eyes, but Brown said he doesn’t think about it too much.
“I always try to keep a level. I never try to get too high or too low regardless of what people have to say about me,” the 6’4” guard said. “The fact that people have taken some notice and I have some more attention around my name, it doesn’t really change anything for me. At the end of the day...I want to win games and I want to have a great season.”
It’s not exactly surprising to see Brown handle expectations in such a mature way, especially since sports seem to run through his blood.
His dad, Mike Brown , is a good source of advice when it comes to the game of basketball. Brown, a former NBA head coach for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers, is still in the league as an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors.
“That’s why I was exposed to it in the first place — he was coaching ever since I came out the womb,” Brown said about being introduced to the sport early. “But you can be around it as much as you want and you might not necessarily love it. I fell in love with it — I can’t really tell you why.”
His younger brother, Cameron Brown, liked basketball growing up, but ended up following a different path. He plays Division III football for the Case Western Reserve Spartans.
“He just wants to get out there and play sports,” Elijah Brown said. “We are a sports family, except for my mom. We all try to do something to stay busy.”
His mom, Carolyn Brown, might not be as athletic as the rest of the family, but she does help inspire her son in a different way.
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“She has always been under the radar doing stuff; trying to help domestic violence shelters, women, little kids at elementary schools, middle schools and just people who need help,” Brown said. “She’s always been someone that tries to give back.”
Brown says his mom is always pushing him to be a better person and trying different things. He recalled that his mother tried to get him to take a drama class in school.
“I always thought it was corny so I never wanted to do it, but deep down inside, I like to act,” he admitted with a smile. “I don’t have a lot of time right now but that is definitely something I’ll look at down the road.”
Brown’s acting career could be promising one, but with the new season ready to tip off, his focus is going to be on the basketball court.
Friday’s game has a schedule start time of 8 p.m.
Isabel Gonzalez is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. She mainly covers men’s soccer and basketball. She can be reached at sports @dailylobo.com or on Twitter @cisabelg.
