Bracey
continued from page 7 A
this could be the same guy who
wears number 42 for the Ducks
and plays with the tenacity and
intensity befitting of someone
much more mean-spirited.
That this is the same guy that
was kicked off his high school
basketball team his senior year for
getting in a fight, thus losing any
chance of a college scholarship.
Or that this is the same guy
who waited two long years fol
lowing high school to enroll in
Malcolm X Junior College in Illi
nois, which was, as he puts it, “a
low budget school that had these
little uniforms that the coach
went out and bought.”
But yes, this is indeed the same
Bryan Bracey. The same Bracey
that has landed in Eugene and im
mediately become part of the
close-knit family that is the Ore
gon Ducks.
“You cannot hate Bryan
Bracey,” said Oregon head coach
Ernie Kent, who earlier in the sea
son referred to Bracey as a teddy
bear. “When you meet him, you
just learn to love him because he’s
such a warm-hearted human be
ing that does keep this team pretty
loose.”
To describe Bracey as “pretty
loose” is like saying that Michael
Jordan was just an okay basketball
player.
Not only does Bracey tear up
opposing defenses — as he did
against Washington last week for
a career-high 23 points off a per
fect 10-for-10 from the field — but
he can also crack any teammate’s
straight face, at any given time.
“Man, the guy is hilarious,”
Jackson said. “Bracey always
seems to keep everybody laugh
ing and reminds us that working
hard and winning is supposed to
be fun.”
And he picks and chooses his
times to be funny at just the right
moments.
The media “probably doesn’t
get to see that side of him, but he’s
a really funny guy,” sophomore
guard Anthony Norwood said.
“When there’s a point in time dur
ing practice when everybody is
mad or feeling down, he always
finds a way to crack a joke and
make everybody cheer up.”
But tell this all to Bracey, and
he just shrugs it off. No big deal,
he says. It’s part of being on a
team.
“I feel you have to stay together
as a team,” Bracey says. “We can’t
always be serious; you gotta have
jokes. Making people laligh is
what I like to do.”
He makes one point very clear
ly. When it’s time to play, that
smile of his is put on hold for a
couple hours, and the competitor
emerges.
It’s that competitor in him that
has adjusted to the fierce play of
the Pacific-10 Conference basket
ball rather quickly. After averag
ing six points in non-league ac
tion, Bracey has thrived in the
past four games, averaging 14
points in limited minutes.
“He has really come a long
way,” Kent said. “A lot of that has
been to his credit because he has
been so coachable. He is some
body that loves to be here and is
very well-liked. And when it’s
game time and those bright lights
are on, he is going to compete.
“To have his demeanor and his
type of game is a nice compliment
Bryan Bracey
Year Junior
Position: Forward
Hometown: Chicago, III.
Height: 6 7"
Weight: 215
Birthdate: August 5,1978
Notable: A year ago, Bracey played for Malcolm X Ju
nior College in Illinois and was a first-team all-confer
ence selection in Region 4 of the junior college ranks
... He led his team in scoring and rebounding with 22 points and 10 rebounds
a game... He attended high school at Oak Park High School and made the
Chicago suburban all-star team his senior year with an average of 20 points
and eight rebounds per game.
to our team.”
Bracey has a unique blend of
raw talent and amazing athleti
cism. He was a two-guard in jun
ior college but has been used at
the power forward spot, a posi
tion usually reserved for the more
bulky types.
One play, in particular, can de
scribe everything that Bracey is as
a player.
In the Dec. 18 game against
Minnesota — in front a nationally
televised audience — Bracey
pulled off a play that won’t soon
be forgotten.
The Ducks’ lead had been cut to
11 when guard Freddie Jones
tried to feed Bracey in the post. In
stead, the ball was picked off by
the Gophers and went the other
way until Bracey hustled down to
the other end to steal it back. He
tipped the ball towards the out-of
bounds line and lunged after it
and then threw back to a team
mate.
He found himself sprawled on
the ground and quickly jumped
up and darted to the other end of
the floor to rebound a missed lay
in by Jones, in which he dunked
home in crowd-pleasing fashion.
“That’s what I call that Dennis
Rodman mentality of hustle, ener
gy and effort,” Kent said. “Of
course without all of the other an
tics that come along with Rod
man.”
Bracey’s smile grows larger
when reminded of the play. He
says there’s nothing he loves more
than electrifying the fans with a
thunderous jam. Although Mac
Court has already seen an impres
sive array of smooth reverse
dunks, Bracey says he has much
more in store.
“I have so many more dunks
that people haven’t seen yet,”
Bracey said. “I got some wind
mills and some Dominique
Wilkins-type jams where you
cock it down. I’m just waiting for
a fast break to do something and
when I do, I’m going to bring the
house down.”
And that, Oregon basketball
fans, is no laughing matter.
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