Whether in sports or life, it’s often said there’s no substitute for experience.
Tashon Brown and the Paradise Valley Trojans are banking on it.
The junior Brown will be entering his third season on head coach Mark MacGowan’s squad. He got his first taste of varsity basketball as a freshman and last year was a key piece on the Trojans’ Division II Final Four run back in February.
What can Brown do for you?
His youthful success between the lines isn’t by accident.
“He’s a very hard worker, he plays year-round,” MacGowan recently told Sports360AZ.com after a summer league tournament game at Arizona Christian. “I think he’s one of the better guards in his class right now.”
Despite averaging nearly nine points, four rebounds, three assists and scoring in double-figures 10 times for PV’s 24-5 team, the five-foot-eleven combo guard will be asked to do even more after losing their top two scorers to graduation.
Brown believes his game has evolved tremendously since first stepping on the court for the annually strong Trojans who have 95 games the last four years under MacGowan.
“I think it’s in my defense and getting my teammates involved,” Brown explained. “I’m looking for my jump shot a little more and being able to knock it down when my teammates trust me.”
Brown certainly has the trust of his head coach.
“He’s just one of those kids who makes really good decisions on the court,” MacGowan said with a shrug. “I’d like him to be a little more selfish. He’s a phenomenal shooter…he’s starting to develop into a really good leader for us, as well. Just making sure all the kids on the court are all on the same page.”
MacGowan could get an added bonus from Brown if his family genes stay true. His father is six-feet-five and the long-legged guard (who is young for his grade) could hit a similar stature before his PV career ends.
The likeable Brown is also excelling in the classroom with a 3.25 grade-point-average and could potentially play college basketball if his game continues to evolve. His ultimate goal is to play professionally.
So how does he spend his down time?
“I like to get into the books and study a little bit, get my GPA up,” Brown said. “Whenever I’m not studying I’m in the gym training and trying to get better because there’s always somebody out there that’s better than me.”
There may not be many if he keeps up this pace for the next two years.
