Just a month after three starters from the AU basketball team graduated, junior Stephen Lumpkins opted to leave school a year early and pursue a professional baseball career, leaving the AU team even younger than anticipated.
Between Lumpkins, Vlad Moldoveanu and Nick Hendra, the Eagles will have to replace over 1,300 points and 550 rebounds this season.
The one returning starter, and perhaps the most valuable player, is senior guard Troy Brewer.
“I don’t feel any pressure,” Brewer said when asked about being the team’s lone returning starter. “I’m excited about it.”
The senior’s path to AU has been a notable one. Brewer grew up in Gaithersburg, Md., and played high school basketball at Montrose Christian, one of the best programs in the country.
The team was nationally ranked in the top 25 in each of his four years at Montrose, and Brewer was named team captain and averaged 15 points per game during his senior season.
In his junior year of high school, Brewer spent much of the season playing behind Kevin Durant, the NBA’s two-time reigning scoring champion.
“Playing with Kevin was a fun experience because you see what he was like in high school and you see what kind of player he is now,” Brewer said. “He is one of the best basketball players in the world. I’ve looked up to him; he’s actually one of my friends and he keeps in touch here and there.”
Despite being recruited by the Eagles out of high school, Brewer chose to attend the University of Georgia, where he saw limited action during his two years at the school. In 2009, he decided to transfer from Georgia to AU.
As required by the NCAA, Brewer redshirted during the 2009-2010 season. When he made his debut in the fall of 2010, he proved to be one of the Eagles’ best players.
He recorded his first career double-double in an early season game against Howard University and poured in a season-high 28 points in the regular season finale against Lafayette College.
“Last year ... I was nervous because I hadn’t played the whole year before, but that wore off after the first few games,” Brewer said.
While Brewer’s best attribute is his scoring, what the team may need most is a leader. With four new starters, Brewer will take on more responsibility in directing his team on the court.
“[Last year’s starters] showed me how the program goes and what the coaches expect of us and they helped me,” Brewer said. “Similarly, this year I’m going to help guys [by doing] the same thing they did for me.”
Brewer added that the team’s trip to Europe, during which the Eagles played several professional teams, helped AU develop chemistry before opening practice.
“We are around each other every day; we all push each other,” Brewer said. “So each day we develop that chemistry a little more.”
Despite questions about the starting lineup, Brewer and the rest of the team are confident that this current squad will be ready to play come November.
“Our expectations are the same as last year, and [Head Coach Jeff Jones] tells us all the time the point of the game is to win,” Brewer said.
The men’s basketball team will be in action Nov. 2 at Bender Arena against Randolph-Macon College in an exhibition game before beginning the regular season Nov. 11 at the University of Richmond.
