INDIANAPOLIS -- Chaundee Brown wasn’t sure how many texts he’d received after Michigan’s NCAA Tournament win over LSU on Monday. He just knew he wasn’t going to get to all of them before bed.
Surely his teammate Eli Brooks had plenty of congratulatory messages as well. The seniors scored 21 points apiece in an 86-78 win that sent Michigan to the Sweet 16.
“We know that any game could be our last college game, so we just put it all on the line,” Brown said.
When Isaiah Livers was sidelined with an injury during the Big Ten Tournament, it was clear that others would have to step up in order for Michigan to achieve its goals. Brown said this was obvious, especially for seniors. “No need to talk about it,” he said. “Just go out and do it.”
(Howard, when asked about Livers’ status after Monday’s game, simply said, “out indefinitely.”)
Before Monday, in the two games without Livers, Brown scored a total of just three points. He was scoreless over 16 minutes off the bench in Michigan’s NCAA Tournament opener against Texas Southern.
Brown told himself he needed to do what he’d done all season: defend like crazy and hit open shots. He just needed to relax.
Brown transferred to Michigan after spending the past three seasons losing a lot of games at Wake Forest. He said his mom told him before Monday’s game, “You prayed and dreamed about being in this position. You’ve just got to make it happen now.”
Against LSU, Brown, as he’s done so often this season, came off the bench and immediately hit a shot. He didn’t stop, finishing 6-of-9 from the field, including three 3-pointers. Michigan flipped the game with a 14-1 run midway through the second half. Brown scored 12 of those points. During his 27 minutes on the floor, Michigan outscored LSU by 19 points.
“You know what you’re going to get with Chaundee every single day,” Brooks said. “He brings a lot of energy. It was good to see him make some shots because that smile goes a long way for the team. His energy, his presence, it helps the team. It brings the defense to a higher level.”
Brown brought the Wolverines home. Brooks’ brilliance kept them afloat in the first half. It he wasn’t scoring, he was setting up a teammate, often using a crafty shot fake to set up his move. For the game he made five 3s, finished 7-of-11 shooting, and handed out seven assists.
“My shot is feeling as good as it has all year,” Brooks said. “The coaches always say next shot mentality, take the shots when you’re open. That’s what I’ve been doing.”
Related: Michigan ‘emptied the tank,’ withstood LSU’s talented scorers to advance in NCAA Tournament
Brooks and Brown spoke with the media after the game because they scored the most points. Michigan coach Juwan Howard was asked about them for the same reason. But Howard sees so much value beyond scoring, beyond any box score stats.
“I know sometimes in basketball, we get caught up in the numbers,” Howard said. “But as a coach, you look at film, you also look at live-game action, seeing what a guy is doing to help impact winning.” All season, Howard said, Brown has “been doing a lot of special things to help us win.”
Howard feels the same way about Brooks.
“Very underrated in a lot of ways offensively and defensively. But within our family and our culture, we know what he provides. … Watch our games, you understand why we appreciate Eli and what he brings to the table night in and night out. He’s our glue guy.”
The scoring, though, was much needed on Monday to keep pace with LSU’s potent attack. Brooks had cracked 20 points four times in his Michigan career, but never in a postseason game. Brown had never played in an NCAA Tournament game before this weekend. On Monday he shined on the big stage, and will get another chance on Sunday against Florida State.
It’s exactly what he imagined when he transferred to Michigan.
“I just wanted to win,” Brown said. “I feel like I made the right decision for myself. I know we’re not done yet and we still have four more games to go.”
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Seniors Eli Brooks and Chaundee Brown made sure Michigan’s season continued - MLive.com
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