The godfather of Western Michigan basketball is back in Kalamazoo this year.
David Brown, a six-foot-four, 205 pound guard, was granted a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA after his sophomore and junior seasons ended with serious ankle and knee injuries, respectively. Brown, the Illinois native and clear team leader, will hope to replicate the Broncos amazing season last year and defend the MAC title.
Brown led the team and was second in the MAC in scoring last year, averaging over nineteen points per game. He also averaged 34 minutes, three and a half rebounds, and two assists per game. Those 34 minutes were also good enough to pace the Broncos in playing time. He had his best game when the Broncos needed it most, scoring 32, including five 3-pointers, and shooting 56% against Toledo in the MAC Championship Game. Brown was also named tournament MVP.
While Brown has been an important part of the WMU roster for a while (in the 2012-2013 season he was MAC Sixth Man of the Year), last year was certainly his most prolific and solidified his place as force to be reckoned with. His points per game average last season was a jump of more than eight points per game from the previous year.
With this added year of experience and focus, Brown should yet again compete for the scoring title in the MAC. And with center Shayne Whittington - the second leading scorer for Western last year - now in the NBA, it will be interesting to see if Brown's point totals increase even more or if other Broncos will see increased offensive production.
Brown will also be relied upon heavily to shepherd the next generation of Bronco basketball to continued success. He will be a source of confidence and stability for this team and hopefully cap off his legacy leading the team to back-to-back tournament appearances.