The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1340560
74 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2021 BY JOHN BORTON C haundee Brown Jr. came to Michigan to win more than 13 games in a basketball sea- son. The wait to move past that unlucky number became almost unbearably cruel. It never happened in his three per- sonally sterling seasons at Wake For- est. He became prominent right out of the gate in Winston-Salem, averag- ing 10.4 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while starting 74 over those three seasons. The Demon Deacons still couldn't get over the hump. They went 11-20 in Brown's freshman season. They re- peated that record his second season. They inched up a little while he aver- aged 12.1 points per game as a junior, scoring 26 in a win over a ranked Xavier squad. But they still weren't NCAA Tournament bound, even if there had been one. They struggled to a 13-18 record, 6-14 in the ACC. Brown wanted change. Mostly he wanted to win, and do so often. Juwan Howard offered him that chance, via transfer to Michigan. Brown accepted the opportunity like a starving man would a steakhouse invitation after emerging from the wilderness. If other aspects of his game needed to change, so be it. They did. He has started just one contest for the Wolverines, although through 15 outings he ranked fifth on the team in scoring (8.3 points per game) and sixth in minutes per con- test (20.4). He is the last one you will find complaining. "It wasn't hard at all," Brown said, about adjusting to his new role. "I just knew I had to sacrifice for some- thing special. Coach Howard talked about that when he was recruiting me. I was definitely down to sacrifice — minutes, shots, anything — to win and do something special. "I know I wanted that. I started three years in the ACC, but to win more games, I needed to sacrifice something. That's what I decided to do." He's done so in a way that's in- credibly refreshing for those watch- ing the transfer avenue swirling with players seeking minutes, shots, and résumé padding. When Brown went looking, some- thing else loomed at the top of his list. After he gave Michigan the once over, it jumped out at him. "They win, most of all, and they really play together as a team," he said. "I was really into that. I wanted to have a team atmosphere, and I wanted to win." SUCCESS ON HOLD Brown experienced just what he dreamed of in the winning category through late January. U-M screamed out of the gate at 13-1 overall, includ- ing 8-1 in the rugged Big Ten, moving from unranked to No. 3 in the nation. They were widely seen as a pos- sible No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tour- nament. They seemed unstoppable. READY TO RULE Chaundee Brown Jr. Arrived To Win Big Brown "I was definitely down to sacrifice — minutes, shots, anything — to win and do something special. I know I wanted that. I started three years in the ACC, but to win more games, I needed to sacrifice something. That's what I decided to do." Brown, who did not experience a winning season in three years at Wake Forest, is focused on helping Michigan win the Big Ten title and the national championship. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL