New game in town

Ira Brown brings some unique qualities to the Gonzaga men’s basketball team. A 97-mph fastball. A 365-pound bench press. A YouTube highlight from his junior-college days in which he jumps over an opposing player and dunks. And a birth certificate that was issued seven years before some of his teammates’.

He hears about the latter the most.

“They call me grandpa of the team and the wise old one,” the 25-year-old Brown says, laughing.

It’s an unusual combination – being the oldest player, yet one of the newcomers on a squad. In some cases, it isn’t easy, such as Brown’s two seasons at Phoenix College. Some cases, it’s easier, as reflected in Brown’s current situation at GU.

“It’s pretty easy here to connect,” Brown said. “In Phoenix, you couldn’t connect with anybody. Everyone was on their own page and selfish ball-playing. These guys are goal oriented and they know what they want in life, even the younger guys.”

For most of his formative years and early adulthood, Brown wanted a career in baseball. Equipped with a mid-90s fastball but shaky command, Brown threw several no-hitters as a prep standout in Houston. He recalls pitching a no-hitter with 19 strikeouts, but losing 2-1 because of walks.

On draft day Brown and his parents huddled around the computer and waited for the phone to ring. He’d been told he’d probably be selected by the fifth round. Brown was more tired than disappointed when he didn’t get picked that early.

“I actually went to sleep and my parents woke me up later and told me the Royals had taken me in the eighth round,” Brown said.

The Royals offered Brown $60,000 to sign. He wanted $100,000 and the team eventually brought its offer up. Brown began a five-year odyssey in the minors in the Gulf Coast League. He pitched for the Spokane Indians in 2002, going 2-5 with a 5.43 ERA. The more relevant numbers were 58 walks and 42 strikeouts in 59 2/3 innings.

Brown admits he never had pinpoint control.

“I topped out at 97 mph in high school,” he said, “but where it was going is a different question.”

Batters didn’t exactly dig in when the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Brown was on the mound.

“They just hated to face me because I had no idea where the ball was going, and they had no idea where the ball was going,” he said. “They couldn’t tell if they were balls or strikes because they were jumping out of the box.”

Every coach or team official had an idea to help Brown locate the strike zone. That led to constant tinkering with his windup, motion, release point – everything but going the Nuke LaLoosh route and breathing through his eyelids.

Brown had stretches where everything clicked. He was 4-1 for Shreveport with 40 strikeouts and 20 walks in 36 innings. He won four games for Edmonton in 2005, whiffing 89 and walking 44 in 96 2/3 innings. Still, Brown became increasingly more frustrated.

“I was their guinea pig,” he said. “I could never get a set position where I was comfortable. At one point I was really comfortable and throwing strikes and all of a sudden we got a new pitching coordinator and he comes in and tries to change something. It kept setting me back more and more.”

So Brown made some changes of his own. He decided to give up baseball and concentrate on basketball.

“I was very rusty, actually, and the only thing I could do was dunk,” he said. “I had no outside shot whatsoever.”

He worked on his all-around game and by his sophomore season he was drawing interest from numerous California and Texas schools, as well as Cincinnati, Nebraska and Loyola-Chicago. Gonzaga felt it needed another forward, given the uncertainty with Larry Gurganious’ back injury last season. Brown, who nearly averaged a double-double as a freshman, was happy to return to Spokane, and vice versa.

“One of the guys that was doing the broadcasting announcements (for the Spokane Indians) came up to me and said, ‘Ira Brown?’ Oh my goodness, I heard you were coming back,” said Brown, breaking out in laughter. “It was like, ‘Dude, you know you hold the record for walks in Spokane.’ I was like, ‘You gotta be kidding me. Don’t bring up the past.’ “

GU coach Mark Few said Brown has already made an impact.

“He’s doing great,” Few said. “In my experience it takes (JC transfers) about half a year best-case scenario to get up to speed and fully immersed in the system where you can show what you can do. He’s adjusting.

“He’s a great, great person, responsible and mature. He’s really helped us before he even gets on the court. We’re lucky to have him.”

Brown’s the one feeling lucky.

“It’s an amazing group of guys,” he said. “I just love being around them. As far as talent, we’re off the charts. The sky is the limit for us.”