{"id":49330,"date":"2017-01-25T10:47:42","date_gmt":"2017-01-25T16:47:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=49330"},"modified":"2017-01-25T10:49:43","modified_gmt":"2017-01-25T16:49:43","slug":"steep-learning-curve-but-high-ceiling-for-young-new-trier-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/steep-learning-curve-but-high-ceiling-for-young-new-trier-star\/","title":{"rendered":"Steep learning curve but high ceiling for young New Trier star"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Eric Burgher<\/strong><\/p>\n

Word had gotten around about a 12-year-old hockey player from Glencoe, who at 6-foot-5, was growing out of his pads.<\/p>\n

Ciaran Brayboy, who had been skating since he was four and playing hockey since kindergarten, grew up on the ice. But as he approached his teenage years, Brayboy started to see signs that it might be time to find another sport.<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t find skates that fit,\u201d he joked.<\/p>\n

Now standing 6-foot-9, 15-year-old Brayboy is the 6th ranked Illinois basketball recruit in the class of 2019 per 247sports and is starting as a sophomore on New Trier\u2019s varsity basketball team. A centerpiece of the team\u2019s young core, he is quickly drawing attention from opposing coaches and colleges, while speeding his way up the steep learning curve of the high school varsity game.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

He initially tried basketball in first grade but it didn\u2019t interest him at the time, so he stuck to hockey, playing house league in Glencoe until sixth grade. But his size started working against him on the ice. He was so much bigger than the other players that he\u2019d be sent to the penalty box just for checking. That was when he realized it might be time to give basketball another shot.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe said, \u2018I think I should play a sport where height is an advantage,\u2019\u201d said his mom Eileen, who taught English and Writing at DePaul before starting her own educational consulting business.<\/p>\n

His experience playing hockey fed right into the physical aspects of basketball, carving himself out a home in the paint. With his height, skills like defense and rebounding came naturally to him. Hand-eye coordination and basketball IQ were going to take some time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe footwork is completely different,\u201d Brayboy said of his transition from hockey. \u201cThat was more like strides and quick slash stops and this is more precise and a lot of the little things matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unlike most of the kids he played with, he didn\u2019t grow up inspired by NBA stars. As a child, Brayboy didn\u2019t watch TV, opting instead to stay active with outdoor activities. So while his classmates were modeling their games after Kobe Bryant or LeBron James, Brayboy was completely self-motivated, learning from the guidance of his coaches and his own experience.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not the parents who push our kids,\u201d said Brayboy\u2019s dad, Darrell, a licensed acupuncturist who specializes in integrative medicine. \u201cWe\u2019re here to give our kids all the tools and opportunity, but it\u2019s up to them to do the work and be willing to do what it takes and that\u2019s the blessing we\u2019ve had with Ciaran.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brayboy jumped at every opportunity to get on the court. He went on to play with Hoops for Health, Mac Irvin Fire and the Glencoe travel team that won a North Shore division title. Starting to see high school basketball as a possibility, he tried out for the New Trier eight grade feeder team, where he made an immediate impression.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve coached kids who were relatively new to the game and I\u2019ve coached kids who are physically imposing at that level, but never the combination,\u201d said New Trier feeder team coach Brendan Pierce, who rarely gets the opportunity to coach someone so tall at that level.<\/p>\n

Brayboy made New Trier\u2019s varsity team as a freshman but broke his pinky finger midway through the season. He couldn\u2019t practice or play for eight weeks and felt disconnected from the varsity team, so he asked coach Scott Fricke if he could play with the sophomore team, for fear he would be losing critical development time if he wasn\u2019t playing.<\/p>\n

It was that drive, determination and work ethic that made a lasting impression on Fricke.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first time I saw him I knew he was going to be a good player,\u201d Fricke said. \u201cYou could just tell that he\u2019s got a great motor, the kid works his tail off \u2026 You just know he wants to be there. He wants to be great.\u201d<\/p>\n

As expected, his sophomore season has seen its share of ups-and-downs as he\u2019s adjusted to the fast, physical varsity game, struggling at times with foul trouble while averaging 7.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. But he\u2019s shown flashes, highlighted by a 14 point, 10 rebound performance in New Trier\u2019s 57-55 victory over Niles North last month. With New Trier down three, Brayboy scored six of the Trevians\u2019 first eight points of the fourth quarter giving them the lead for good.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is not a fun experience facing Brayboy,\u201d said Niles North coach Glenn Olson.\u00a0 \u201cHis size no doubt is a factor, but I am more impressed with his athletic ability and his desire to rebound the basketball.\u00a0 He has a nice shooting touch \u2026 it is no fun going against him now, but\u00a0two years from now, it will be downright miserable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Brayboy has received letters of interest from Wisconsin, Northwestern, Illinois, Arkansas and Holy Cross to name a few. And in his words, \u201cit doesn\u2019t really mean anything.\u201d He\u2019s just focused on getting better.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis progress from last year to this year is ridiculous,\u201d Fricke said. \u201cHe\u2019s getting so much better. And there\u2019s a long way for him to go and a lot of upside.\u201d<\/p>\n

Photo at top: Brayboy’s combination of height and raw talent makes him a threat in the paint. (Eric Burgher\/MEDILL)<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Eric Burgher Word had gotten around about a 12-year-old hockey player from Glencoe, who at 6-foot-5, was growing out of his pads. Ciaran Brayboy, who had been skating since he was four and playing hockey since kindergarten, grew up on the ice. But as he approached his teenage years, Brayboy started to see signs […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":363,"featured_media":49333,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,3516],"tags":[597,3616,3599,1439,3615,3614,3597],"class_list":["post-49330","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","category-winter-2017","tag-basketball","tag-brayboy","tag-ciaran-brayboy","tag-high-school-basketball","tag-new","tag-new-trier","tag-scott-fricke"],"yoast_head":"\nSteep learning curve but high ceiling for young New Trier star - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/steep-learning-curve-but-high-ceiling-for-young-new-trier-star\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Steep learning curve but high ceiling for young New Trier star - Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Eric Burgher Word had gotten around about a 12-year-old hockey player from Glencoe, who at 6-foot-5, was growing out of his pads. 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