Brandi Brown
Basketball
2012-13
Brandi Brown developed from a good player on an 0-30 team to a dominating force on Youngstown State's best team in 13 years, and now she joins a long list of women's basketball players in the proud history of the program to be named the YSU/Vindicator Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Brown is the ninth women's basketball player to earn the Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award at YSU, joining Brianne Kenneally (2000-01), Shannon Beach (1997-98), Liz Hauger (1996-97), Kristi Echelberry (1994-95), Donna Djorovic (1992-93), Margaret Somple (1990-91), Cara Hendrix (1988-89) and Dorothy Bowers (1987-88). Statistically, she is one of the top players to ever play at Youngstown State or in the Horizon League. Her ability to lead the program from that 0-30 season her freshman year to a 23-10 mark and a berth in the WNIT as a senior will perhaps be remembered more.
Brown, a native of Pomona, Calif., leaves Youngstown State as the career record holder in rebounds (1,239), defensive rebounds (819), free throws made (443), free throws attempted (646), games played (123), games started (123) and minutes (3,941). She also ranked second in school history with 2,079 points, making her one of only two players in YSU and Horizon League history to score 2,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds. Brown scored in double figures 105 times in 123 career games, and she posted 59 double-doubles.
Brown gave a glimpse of her potential as a freshman when she was the runner-up for the Horizon League Newcomer-of-the-Year Award while averaging 11.4 points and 10.6 rebounds. She set YSU freshman records for rebounds and free throws, and she ranked 18th in the country in rebounding.
With Bob Boldon's hiring as head coach after her freshman year, Brown diversified her game and evolved from exclusively a low-post player to a complete offensive player who could drive past posts on the perimeter and score over guards near the basket. Brown led the Horizon League in scoring as a sophomore with an average of 19.9 points per game en route to being named Second-Team All-Horizon League and Academic All-Horizon League. She averaged 15.9 points and 9.3 rebounds as a junior while earning both awards again.
Brown culminated her career by being named the Horizon League Player of the Year, Honorable Mention All-American and First-Team Academic All-American as a senior. She averaged career highs of 20.1 points and 11.1 rebounds, and her dedication to improving on defense helped make YSU among the most-improved teams in the NCAA. She was one of only two players nationally to rank among the top 20 in the country both scoring and rebounding, and she ranked fifth in the country with 23 double-doubles.
She will perhaps be most remembered by willing the Penguins to three straight wins at Beeghly Center down the stretch as they clinched second place in the regular season standings. Brown scored 33 points against Cleveland State, 39 versus UIC, and, when fans wore "Brown 42" T-shirts on "Brandi Brown Appreciation Day", she added to her legend by scoring 42 points against Wright State. She added 21 rebounds against the Raiders to post just the second 40-20 game in school history and the first in the country in a Division I game in six years. She was named the espnW National Player of the Week for her efforts.
Brown is the daughter of Wayne and Yo-Landa Brown. She has two brothers and a sister, and she is a 2009 graduate of Pomona High. A communications major with a 3.75 grade-point average, she is on track to graduate in May.
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