Wichita State’s Zach Brown puts slow start aside, picks up production

Wichita State lost three straight games for the first time since 2013 and sophomore Zach Brown got the mixed message that the Shockers needed him to do more and do less at the same time.

“We had a tough stretch,” Brown said. “We owe it to guys like Fred (VanVleet), Ron (Baker) and Evan (Wessel) to, basically, give it our all so they can make it to the NCAA Tournament, Anton Grady, too since he’s never been. It’s time for someone to step up. I made up my mind — I’ve got to do something.”

Brown, a 6-foot-6 forward, missed his first nine three-pointers and committed eight turnovers in his first five games. He dribbled too much, either wasting time on the shot clock or giving defenders opportunity to knock the ball away. His season turned for the better against Iowa in the final game of the AdvoCare Invitational and since then his minutes, production and confidence are climbing.

The Shockers (4-4) play No. 25 Utah on Saturday at Intrust Bank Arena and they need Brown to continue his surge as they repair the damage done in November.

Brown’s improvement starts with taking good shots, taking care of the basketball and playing defense. Coaches talked to him about limiting his dribble drives to two bounces. In the past three games, he has five assists and three turnovers. He is 4 of 10 from three-point range and 10 of 18 from the field.

“I was thinking I could come in here and do too much, things I shouldn’t be doing,” he said. “Now I’m trying to keep the game simple.”

Brown played 23 minutes in Wednesday’s win over UNLV and recorded a well-rounded game with nine points, three rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks. He played a lead role in hold UNLV’s Patrick McCaw to five points, 13 below his average, on 2-of-8 shooting.

“He’s defending at a high level,” WSU coach Gregg Marshall said. “He’s not letting his jump shot dictate how well he plays.”

Brown, from Houston, averaged 10.5 minutes as a freshman. WSU’s success rarely depended on his play. When he played well, such as in NCAA Tournament wins over Indiana and Kansas, the Shockers won. When he didn’t play well, the Shockers still won. This season, he realizes the Shockers need his contributions every game.

“Starting in the Iowa game … he’s been building confidence since then,” VanVleet said. “He’s coming along, and we need him to play a huge role.”

Like UNLV, the Utes are playing their first true road game on Saturday. They are 5-0 at home, with wins over San Diego State and BYU, and 2-1 in the Puerto Rico Tip-Off Classic, defeating Texas Tech and Temple and losing to Miami 90-66.

The Shockers are protecting a 35-game home winning streak, a streak that counts wins over Tennessee and Saint Louis at Intrust Bank Arena. They also own a streak of 34 straight non-conference home wins. Both streaks are second nationally.

To keep them alive, and avenge last season’s overtime loss at Utah, the Shockers must first deal with Utes center Jakob Poeltl. a 7-foot sophomore. He averages 21.3 points and is making 69.2 percent of his shots. Last season, he scored 12 points against the Shockers, 11 in the first half before tiring.

“He’s more aggressive,” Marshall said. “Stronger, playing stronger. He can run. He can put the ball on the floor. The numbers he’s putting up are off the charts.”

This story was originally published December 11, 2015 at 7:03 PM with the headline "Wichita State’s Zach Brown puts slow start aside, picks up production."