According to family legend, St. Laurence’s Logan Brown learned to dribble before he even began to walk. The 6-foot-6 sophomore forward developed an instant love for the sport and his sisters.
Olivia, a 6-1 senior forward, plays basketball for Mother McAuley. Addy, a 6-0 freshman forward, plays on the lower levels for the Mighty Macs. And a win for Logan on Oliva’s birthday?
Sounds like a plan.
“My sister Oliva’s a great player,” Logan said. “I learned a lot from watching her and seeing how she fights and plays through adversity. And my mom played Division II basketball, too.
“I’ve been around the game my whole life.”
Logan Brown put that on display Tuesday night, producing nine points, six rebounds and two steals for the Vikings in a 59-55 Catholic League Blue win at De La Salle in Chicago.
Sophomore guard Noah Corro made five 3-pointers and scored a game-high 20 points for St. Laurence (22-6, 3-5). Junior forward Markese Peoples tallied seven of his 15 points in the fourth quarter.
Sophomore guard Stephen Dixon scored 18 points to lead De La Salle (12-15, 3-5). Senior forward Remi Edwards and junior forward Chaden Harvey added 12 points apiece.
Brown, meanwhile, joins Corro and guard Jeremiah Toney as St. Laurence’s three sophomore starters.
“Logan’s defense and his ability to attack the rim have gotten a lot better since the start of the season,” Corro said. “He’s gotten a lot better and he can do it all now.
“He’s very flexible in doing whatever we need him to do out there.”
Brown has also validated the faith put in him by St. Laurence coach Roshawn Russell.
“He’s just gotten so much tougher as the season has gone on,” Russell said of Brown. “He’s going to the glass with aggression. Everyone knows he can shoot. Everyone knows he’s athletic.
“I’m very proud of how he goes above the rim or really fights on defense.”
Brown has surged from a situational bench player last season to a foundational piece this winter. He has the size and length to protect the rim and the versatility to play on the perimeter.
A left-handed shooter, his first two baskets Tuesday were 3-pointers.
“I love shooting the ball,” he said. “When I’m hitting those threes, that sets me up to attack the rim because they’re worried about my outside shot. They have to come up to my face.
“I just take off and get that separation around them.”
St. Laurence is a different team as well from last season, when the Vikings had six seniors. Brown has accelerated his learning curve this winter with no seniors in the rotation.
“I’m getting a lot more experience and a lot more exposure,” he said. “I’m way more confident now. It’s penetrating, getting more rebounds, playing more defense and getting more shots up.”
Brown also played football and baseball as a freshman, but basketball dominates his DNA. His mother Natalie, who’s 6-4, played on McAuley’s powerhouse teams in the mid-1990s.
Olivia was the early spark who helped him find his identity. By the time Logan arrived at St. Laurence, he was nearly 6-3. His development was synchronized to his growth.
“I’ve gotten more confident and aggressive using my size to shoot over people and grab rebounds,” Brown said.
Quiet off the court, he prefers hanging out with his family and friends. He takes basketball very seriously, evidenced by the amount of time he spends watching and studying the game.
“My dad played football and basketball in high school and he was pretty good,” Brown said. “I learned the game by watching and playing with my parents and my sisters in the backyard.
“It’s how I learned how to be a leader.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.
