Wahoo in review - John Brandenburg
Friday, June 05 2009 by Ben
Each week we'll be taking a look at one player on the Virginia basketball roster: how they did, where they were good, and where they were bad. Today's featured player is... John Brandenburg.
John Brandenburg played all of 26 minutes last season. That's... not much to draw on. The only gentleman that played less was Will Sherill.
In fact, 31% of those minutes came in eight-minute stint against Clemson at Littlejohn. But, oh, what an eight-minute stint it was.
Brandenburg looked a little lost in the offense, but he did manage to get a pass down low and get fouled and sunk the two free throws.
On the very next defensive possession, Brandenburg provided one of the most memorable moments of the season. With approximately seven minutes left on the clock and Virginia was down 16, Clemson's Demontez Stitt goes up for a lay-up only to have it thrown into the upper deck by Brandenburg.
The crowd is silent. Brandenburg towers over Stitt, screaming uncontrollably. He gets T'ed up.
Was it silly to do in front of a raucous home crowd? Yes.
Was it silly because UVa was down 16? Yes.
Was it silly for a freshman who never plays to show up a starter on the other team? Yes.
Did I love it? Yes, yes, and yes.
In the midst of a frustrating losing campaign where he didn't see the court that much, Brandenburg lost it for a few nanoseconds after a great play. It was a catharsis of emotion unlike any other seen on the team last season.
Screw the two points - Virginia wasn't coming back from 16 down to beat Clemson on the road. Brandenburg sent a message that, "You may be able to kick us now, but we can beat you."
The competitive fire that he displayed keeps good teams afloat and they're going to need it this year. Maybe we won't see it on TV, but it'll be there in practice, pushing everyone to work harder.
Keep screaming, John. The team needs you. The fans need you.
Past Wahoos in Review
Almost every week we'll be taking a look at one player on the Virginia basketball roster: how they did, where they were good, and where they were bad. Today's featured player is... Sammy Zeglinski . If it seems like I'm pounding the same drum over and