Brown named top Aggie
Utah Statesman: What does it mean to you to be the Big West Player of the Week? Mark Brown: [It means] that our team won and I was doing something well to help our team win at the same time that I was playing good personally. US: What do you think your strengths are on the court? MB: Running the team, knowing how to get people the ball in certain spots. Quickness. US: What do you want to improve on? MB: My whole all-around game, but the main thing would be defense. There’s always room for improvement on everything, but my defense would definitely be it. It’s getting better. It’s not as good as it should be, but it’s getting better. US: What are your personal goals for the season? MB: To be more consistent as a player, offensively and defensively. For us to make it back to the Big West Tournament, to not lose as many games as we did in conference last year. To make sure our team comes ready to play each game. US: The team has a pretty good winning percentage in the Spectrum, what are your feelings about the fans? MB: The fans are like the sixth man on the court. They help us out so much and it’s always good to have that support. I love playing in the Spectrum, it’s one the best places I’ve ever played. US: What’s the coolest thing you’ve ever seen on a basketball court? MB: That’s a tough one. I’ve been in a lot of games. The most spectacular thing for me personally would be playing against family members. That’s one of the most exciting things. Against Fort Lewis I had two friends that I played against in high school and once I played a cousin. Another one was the alley-oop pass I threw to Spencer Nelson [Wednesday against Utah] and the one I threw to Cardell [Butler] last year against Cal Poly at the BW Tournament. I liked that play. US: Do you think your style of play is similar to any NBA player? MB: Me personally, I don’t, but I let people compare me. People tell me I play like Damon Stoudamire. I’ve gotten an “Iverson” before. There were a few others, but I don’t try to emulate too many people, I just try to play my game. US: Do you have a favorite NBA player? MB: No. I don’t have a favorite team either. It’s hard for some people to believe since I play. Generally, I just watch and learn stuff from everybody I see. US: Who’s the best player you’ve ever faced? MB: Gilbert Arenas when he was at the University of Arizona. I played with him over the summer a few times. We used to play pickup ball a little bit over the summer. US: What made you decide to come to Utah State? MB: First off was the graduation rate of the basketball players. That’s important to me and I’m on pace to do that in May. It’s a good coaching staff and a good program. They’ve been pretty successful ever since [Head] Coach [Stew] Morrill and the rest of the coaching staff, so that was also a reason.-royburton@cc.usu.edu