Bryant Brown leads resurgent Waukegan, awaits elusive D-1 offer

Last winter, even Bryant Brown’s best efforts weren’t enough to keep Waukegan afloat. The 6-6 forward averaged more than 23 points and eight rebounds per game, yet the Bulldogs still crashed to an 11-16 record.

This winter, Brown is replicating the same dominance, and it’s finally showing up in the standings.

“In the offseason, I put in a lot of work in individually on my game — and a lot of the guys on the team did too — to get prepared for this season,” Brown said.

Waukegan back to winning ways

No. 23 Waukegan (14-4, 4-1) has already surpassed last season’s overall win total and remains in the thick of contention for a North Suburban conference title.

Things in Lake County are looking a lot more like 2016, when the Bulldogs finished second in the conference at 10-4 and won a regional title, than like 2017, when they started 10-5 only to lose 11 of their next 12.

Coach Ron Ashlaw’s crew is responding to adversity a lot better now, too. Last season, back-to-back narrow losses to Warren and Stevenson pushed Waukegan off their cliff. This past Friday, the Bulldogs were dealt another tough-to-swallow defeat by Stevenson, but bounced back to upset No. 10 St. Viator on Saturday.

Waukegan can also tout solid wins over Kenwood, Carmel and St. Charles East, plus an otherwise unremarkable December victory over Libertyville in which Brown erupted for 40 points.

Point guard Andre White Jr., a Harlem transfer, has filled what used to be Waukegan’s biggest lineup hole with aplomb, emerging as the ideal complementary force to Brown. Against Stevenson, it was Brown starring with 20 points; against St. Viator, the roles flipped, with White leading the team with 21 points.

If Waukegan is to keep up this winning momentum, however, Ashlaw knows he’ll need even more from his four-year starter.

“(Bryant needs to do) everything he does now at a higher level,” Ashlaw said. “Rebound the ball stronger, more putbacks, shoot the ball better, more lift in his shot, more bouncy and athletic on defense. He does all those things well now, but we’re trying to get him to help us make a deep run here, and we’re also trying to get him to catapult himself to the best possible next four years of his life, and it’s going to take that effort for both of those things to happen.”

Frustrating recruiting situation

The next four years remain a murky proposition for Brown, even as one of the area’s top seniors.

Right now, he has only Division II offers, from the likes of Lewis, Winona State and Florida Southern.

He said he has gotten interest, at least, from a handful of Division I programs — Davidson, UMass and a couple Ivy League schools — but no offers yet. That reality has been vexing for both player and coach.

“It’s a little frustrating, but I’m just going to keep working,” Brown said. “I’m not sure where I’m going to end at, what school I’m going to go to yet, but right now I’m just trying to win.”

“The process is what it is,” Ashlaw said. “He’s a Division 1 player in my mind, without question.”

Ashlaw re-emphasized Brown’s work ethic, and said he’s noticed the forward becoming a better “orchestrator,” a better finisher around the rim and a better passer. And Brown threw in that he’s also focused on improving his defensive footwork and jump shot. Add all those things up, and it basically encapsulates a basketball player’s entire skill set.

That dedication hasn’t paid any significant recruiting dividends yet — although it certainly has for Waukegan in the meantime — but Ashlaw said he’s advised Brown to stay patient.

“There are a lot of really good players who have great things happen to them in April,” Ashlaw said. “I know a ton of guys who have played their senior years out to get the exact right thing, and that was the absolute smartest thing for them. … I tell him not to worry about a thing.”

Immediate goals

In spite of the loss Friday at Stevenson, Waukegan still technically controls its destiny in the North Suburban race — the now-No. 21 Patriots (13-3, 4-1) have a conference loss to Libertyville weighing down their resume, and the two schools will meet again in Waukegan on Feb. 12.

But it’s very, very early to get concerned about such scenarios, with the majority of the conference schedule still yet to come. The Bulldogs will play their third game in five days Tuesday night at non-conference foe Metea Valley, then get back to North Suburban action Saturday at Zion-Benton.

Carrying Waukegan to a successful season — and avoiding the sudden collapse that capsized the squad this time last year — is undoubtedly Brown’s top priority right now.

But if Davidson, UMass or another Division 1 program finally comes calling for real, the spry forward has his personal sales pitch ready.

“I’m just going to continue to get better and I’m going to work really hard in practice every day,” he said. “I know I’ve got to get stronger physically, but I’m just going to work hard and bring some intensity to the program.”