1995-1996 BASKETBALL RECRUIT: Ryan Brass 5' 10", 175-lb. junior point guard from Cerritos JC. Averaged ten points, seven assists, and three steals last year. All-South Coast Conference selection.
Filling the gap left by Smart's departure was the first priority. Although Brovelli acknowledges that "you just don't replace an Orlando Smart," he knew that what the Dons really needed is an experienced point guard to step right in and take a leadership role. The answer came to him in the form of Ryan Brass, a junior transfer from Cerritos Junior College. "Brass is a quick, good athlete, a good distributor of the basketball, and has good leadership qualities," describes Brovelli. "He's a very strong kid, even though he's only about 5-10 or 5-11. We won't have, like we had Orlando, a scoring point guard, that type of player. We'll have a distributor and leader."
"I think we're going to get very, very solid play from the point guard position ... We expect them to get the ball to our go-to guys." The younger Mike Brovelli, who has, according to Coach Brovelli, "earned everything he has achieved," will be called on a great deal to be the answer to the ball distribution problem. Brass, a slashing penetrator who reads the floor well, should also get considerable playing time. The up-tempo style that Coach Brovelli utilizes requires fresh legs and a quick mind. There will be a lot of pressure on these two players: luckily, they both already have a lot of minutes under their belts and should be up to the task (TheFoghorn).
