Canes Hoops: Bruce Brown Jr Back in the Starting Lineup

Was I the only one surprised to see Bruce Brown Jr. in the starting lineup today against George Washington? After his hand injury initially occurred it was rumored that the ‘Canes star could miss the rest of non-conference play. A week ago the news got a bit better as it was announced that he would be good to go in time for the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic. So in total Brown would only miss two games: against Boston and against GW. And then there he was in the starting lineup on Saturday morning in DC.

The stat line was far from typical Bruce Brown. He put up just 3 points on 1-6 shooting and missed all 3 of his attempts from deep. He also recorded 3 boards, 3 assists, and 3 steals to go along with 1 turnover. But perhaps the most shocking stat of the day was that he played 38 of the 40 minutes of the completely lopsided game. Coach L must have been confident in Brown’s healing, because he easily could have sent him to the bench for the majority of the first half and all of the second half after Miami jumped all over the Colonels.

It wasn’t the Bruce Brown, we ‘Canes fans have been spoiled by in the past, but it was certainly good to see him out on the floor and able to contribute. With the Diamond Head Classic on the horizon, which entails 3 games in 4 days, it is nice to see that the role of the leader of the team won’t be in question. Bruce Brown is back in the starting rotation, healthy, and ready to roll.