Photo by Cody Glenn, USA Today
Cal Basketball: Joel Brown's Continuing Education as a Young Point Guard
Starting 17 games as a freshman provided Cal point guard Joel Brown with invaluable on-the-job training last season. That doesn't count the benefits he reaped from working with senior Paris Austin.
“I learned a lot from Paris as a senior on how to run a team and how the Pac-12 works, how college basketball itself works,” Brown said from his Canadian home in Brampton, Ontario.
There is no timetable for when Brown will return to campus, but he’s ready to embrace a fuller understanding of how to run a team as he prepares for his sophomore season and the opportunity to become the Bears’ primary floor leader.
“I think for me, (what’s critical is) growing up now and being a leader for the team and stepping up, now that I have a year under my belt,” he said. “I know the expectations. And just being another voice for the coaches on the court.”
Brown said he learned a lot this past season. Now, as he shelters in place at his family home during the COVID-19 pandemic, Brown has been able to digest all of that in fashion he didn’t necessarily expect.
“Being in the situation that we’re in, I know it’s really hard, it’s affecting a lot of people. But I kind of used it as a time for reflection for the season, myself,” he said. “That’s kind of the silver lining in all of this - the time you get for yourself to think about things.
“I’ve been able to kind of have different flashbacks, look at different games and see my progress from when I first stepped on campus and throughout the whole season.”
Why Joel Brown has one more reason to appreciate Mom on Mother's Day.
Like any young player, Brown came to understand the college game is played on a different mental level than he’d previously experienced.
“One thing I for sure learned throughout the season was mental toughness. There’s many different things that are thrown at you. And you’re in a different environment where you’re playing with other guys who are really good,” Brown said.
“You have to pay attention. Everything is very detailed. And so for me, making sure I keep my mental right because once your mental is right a lot of things are set in place for you.”
Among his offseason priorities is to improve his shooting after converting just 34 percent from the field, 31 percent on 3-pointers and 40 percent (12-for-40) from the free throw line.
“Whether it be catch and shoot, coming off screens and shooting or pull-ups, those are things I discuss with the coaches and continue to work on. That’s the stuff I’m doing in my backyard so that when I get back to school I’m not too rusty,” he said.
Still, it doesn’t sound like Brown anticipates becoming a primary scoring option next season after averaging 2.4 points as a freshman with a pair of double-digit scoring games. He said coach Mark Fox’s offense gives everyone on the floor the chance to score, but Brown expects his points to come out of the normal flow.
His focus is elsewhere.
“For me, it’s more so pass first,” he said. “Whatever’s asked of me, that’s what I’m going to do.”
Brown wants his grasp of what teammates need from their point guard to become second nature. He wants to have a clear picture, for instance, of when and where leading scorer Matt Bradley should get the ball.
“As the point guard, everybody’s looking at you to kind of lead things,” he said. “So if you don’t have an understanding of what this player likes to do or what he’s capable of doing, it just kind of messes up everything.
“I learned that from an early age, which has helped me as I continue to go to each level.”
