St. John's University Athletics
SENIOR STRIDES: Brownlee Shines Early In St. John's Resurgence
12/7/2010 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 7, 2010
QUEENS, N.Y. - At this time last year, Justin Brownlee was just beginning to find his way as a junior transfer on the St. John's men's basketball team. This year is much different.
The player who was a consistent, good-hustle option off the bench a season ago is now St. John's top scorer through the its first six games of 2010-11. Brownlee is starting to reap the rewards of years of hard work that took him across the country and back on his road to success in Division I college basketball.
Serving as the team's primary post option in first-year head coach Steve Lavin's rebuilt, high-octane St. John's offense, the 6-7 senior forward is averaging a team-high 14.3 points per game. He is shooting a team-best 61.1 percent from the floor, which ranks 27th among all NCAA Division I players. Brownlee, who has more than doubled his scoring output from last season (6.8 ppg in 2009-10), has indicated that his strong play of late is forshadowing of what fans can expect once St. John's BIG EAST play starts.
"It's going to get better," Brownlee said. "I have not even turned it up yet."
In the Red Storm's recent trip to Anchorage, Alaska, for the Carrs/Safeway Great Alaska Shootout, Brownlee was nearly unstoppable. He garnered Most Outstanding Player honors after he averaged 17.7 points and 4.3 rebounds and led the St. John's to the tournament title - its first regular-season tournament championship since 2005 - with wins over Ball State, Drake and Arizona State. The Tifton, Ga., native played a crucial role in two major Red Storm victories, netting 20 points in the team's hard-fought 78-73 overtime win over Ball State and 20 points in the team's 67-58 win over Pac-10 power Arizona State. For his efforts in Alaska, the BIG EAST also named Brownlee to the conference's weekly honor roll for the first time in his St. John's career.
Brownlee's greatest asset this season has been his versatility, a result of an offseason dedicated to refining his basketball skills. As a combo forward who can drive to the basket with authority, find a window for his steady mid-range jumper or hit an open 3-pointer, he can become a matchup nightmare for opponents.
"Justin has taken incremental and gradual strides," Lavin said. "Right from the start, in the spring, his sense and feel for the game is something that gives him distinction on our team. We are seeing someone blossom and play with an elevated level of confidence, and the numbers reflect that."
Those strides were seen early last season when Brownlee showed Red Storm fans a glimpse of his potential, averaging 8.8 points and 5.9 rebounds off the bench over the first 10 games of his St. John's career. He became an instant fan favorite for his hustle and consistency when inserted in the lineup, and his efforts played an important role in the team's 9-1 start.
If the Red Storm hopes to be a successful road team deep into March, it will rely a great deal on the continued development of the well-travelled Brownlee, who has played his college ball on the East Coast, West Coast and Gulf Coast. Before joining St. John's, he was a standout junior college player in California and Florida. Following one year at City College of San Francisco, where he averaged approximately 20.0 points per game and earned all-state JUCO honors, Brownlee helped lead Chipola Junior College (Mariana, Fla.) to a 34-2 record and third place in the NJCAA national tournament in 2008-09. He averaged 10.1 points and 5.7 rebounds for Chipola during its impressive run and earned a first team All-Panhandle Conference honors.
"Going through JUCO really helped me get the experience I needed to succeed at this level," Brownlee said.
Dating back to last season, St. John's has been at its best when Brownlee is at his best. STJ is 12-4 when he scores in double figures and 7-1 when he scores 13 points or more. He has averaged 17.0 points in St. John's five wins this season, and the "Ws" will surely continue to pile up with Brownlee as the Red Storm's emerging star.
