Long growing into role as a junior
October 8, 2013
By Nick Gray
The past two seasons at UK for junior guard Brian Long could not have been any more different from one another.
From confetti cannons at the NCAA championship game in downtown New Orleans to an NIT matchup in a 3,000-seat arena in suburban Pittsburgh, Long has been on a roller coaster ride of a career at UK full of ups and downs.
But Long believes this year’s Cats have what it takes to steer the team away from the prospects of going to another NIT.
“I think the sense of urgency,” Long said. “This year everyone seems to have a chip on their shoulder after last year because last year was a down year.” The 5-foot-9, 155-pound guard from Dumont, N.J. averaged 9.6 points and five assists per game in his senior season at River Dell High School after averaging nine points and four assists per game as a junior. Long was first connected with Calipari when Long’s brother Travis played at the University of Memphis while Calipari was coaching the Tigers.
“I have never been anywhere else, but I feel like there is no place like here. The fans are unbelievable and are at every game no matter what. (Calipari) is a high-profile coach, and he’s done an unbelievable job at places like UMass, Memphis and here,” Long said. “Last year was a down year, but in previous years he has won a national championship, a Final Four and an Elite Eight in his first three years so I feel like everyone coming in, if they listen to him, everything will work out.”
As a guard, Long will face off against three five-star freshman guards in Aaron and Andrew Harrison and James Young. Coming out of summer workouts, two of those freshman surprised Long.
“My biggest surprise was Aaron and Andrew; they look alike but they play differently. You can tell the difference in the way they play,” Long said. “Andrew is a distributor while Aaron is a scorer.”
Long played six total minutes last season and has played in 15 total games in the last two years in his role as a walk-on. In practice and off the court, Long’s goals for this season are not about highlight reel dunks or jarring blocks.
“I want to do whatever I can on or off the court to help the team as much as I possibly can. It’s a deep team this year so practice is going to be a lot different than it was last year,” Long said. “I’m just trying to push everybody and do everything I can to make the team better.”
