BEREA, OHIO -- Baldwin Wallace University senior All-Ohio Athletic Conference forward and Strongsville High School standout Kyle Brown transferred from NCAA Division II Hillsdale (Mich.) College as a scorer three years ago and has worked hard to become a more complete player now as a Yellow Jacket senior and team captain.
"Kyle will score, no two ways about it," said second-year Head Coach Duane Sheldon, a 1993 graduate of the College and former standout at Strongsville himself. "He can shoot the ball. But, Kyle has worked hard to become a more complete player, a better defensive player and a team-leader."
"This year, we need him to be more of a defensive presence on the inside," continued Sheldon, prior to traveling with his 4-5 overall Yellow Jackets to Kentucky to play Indiana University-East (7-3 overall) on Sunday and host Thomas More (5-3) on Monday in the Coach Connor Classic. "During his career, Kyle has hit some big shots, so we know we can count on him offensively. But for us to be better as a team, we need Kyle to play solid defense."
"Many of our opponents are doubling up on me and denying me the ball," said Brown, who is second in scoring at 11.9 points-per-game, second with 4.0 rebounds-per-game and first with 20 three-pointers. "By being a decoy or setting up in the corner for the three, our opponents have to make a decision to stop Promis [sophomore point guard Promis Cabbil from Elyria] from driving to the hoop, stop me from making a three-pointer or another player from stepping up and making a shot."
"I have most definitely become a better defender from high school to Hillsdale to BW," said Brown, a business administration and finance major. "I know what I've got to do to help the team. It is a lot more than just playing defense. You have to know how to play defense the Sheldon-way.
"No one comes to BW "Sheldon-ready"," said Brown with a laugh. "You learn to be hard-nosed, do whatever it takes to win and have no fear. Being "Sheldon-ready" is taught and not just a given. Then Coach takes it the rest of the way."
"Teams are putting their best defender on Kyle and double-teaming him a lot," said Sheldon. "But that has given Kyle the opportunity to give other players the opportunity to step up. And, when Kyle is "in his zone", he can really score it."
While at Strongsville H.S., Brown earned first-team All-Pioneer Conference honors, was the PC Player of the Year, an All-Greater Cleveland pick, first-team All-District selection and All-Ohio honorable mention choice. Then he went on to Hillsdale. But after just one season a the Div. II school, he returned to the area to play for the legendary Steve Bankson at BW.
"People like to go away to college," said Brown. "I'm glad I came back to the area. I love it here at BW. There are a lot of familiar faces in the stands at every game. I couldn't be happier with how it has turned out for me."
As a sophomore, Brown had his best season as a scorer, averaging 16.4 ppg., 4.1 rpg. and with a team-leading 64 treys. Last season, in Sheldon's first season back at his alma mater, Brown was beset by a few nagging injuries that dropped his scoring production to 11.3 ppg. with 42 three-pointers.
Asked about his best moments as a Yellow Jacket, Brown said, "Helping Coach Bankson win his 700th career game as a coach and when Coach Sheldon was named as the head coach." That's quite modest when you consider he hit a game-winning three-pointer with two seconds left earlier this season to beat Bethany (W.Va.) College on the road. But to Brown, being a team-leader and helping his team is much more important.
'It is important for me and Paul [senior co-captain Paul Glass of Medina] to lead by example and pull the team together," said Brown, who has 741 career points, 238 rebounds and 126 triples entering a January 6, 2010 game at home against Ohio Athletic Conference arch-rival Mount Union College at 7:30 p.m. "It's being a coach on the court because we have such a young team. It's playing defense and helping in other areas to become that more complete player. It's one thing to say it and it's an entirely different thing to do it every day. It's definitely different, but it's not big deal as long as we win.
"Our goals are to win the OAC regular season and OAC Tournament titles and advance to the NCAA Tournament," said Brown. "The OAC is a tough, tough league and every game is hard-fought against a quality opponent. You can't overlook anyone because any team in our league can beat any other on any given night. It's exciting."
All Yellow Jacket men's and women's basketball games can be heard LIVE via the Internet at www.wBW.com. In addition, all away games are broadcast on campus radio station WBW, 88.3 FM.
In addition, BW's Saturday, February 20 game against Otterbein College is both "Take a Kid to the Game" Day and will be televised by SportsTime Ohio (www.sportstime ohio.com). For more information regarding the "Take a Kid to the Game" promotion, please call Meg Carney in the Athletic Department at 440-826-2140 or e-mail her at mcarney@bw.edu.
