Brazdeikis Making Good on Pledge to Become 'Elite Two-Way Player'
3/22/2019 11:56:00 PM | Men's Basketball, Features
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By Steve Kornacki
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Ignas Brazdeikis grabs your attention by snapping the nets with three-point shots, lightning-quick drives to the basket and determined power moves down low. But there was a play he made Thursday (March 21) in the University of Michigan's NCAA Tournament-opening victory over Montana that was particularly meaningful.
And it came on defense.
Brazdeikis tried for a steal at midcourt and was denied initially. But the Big Ten Freshman of the Year was like a dog on a bone, relentless. He got the steal, drove to the basket in a blur and hammered down a two-handed dunk, swaying from the rim for an instant before coming down to celebrate.
"That comes from sniffing plays out," said Luke Yaklich, the assistant coach who coordinates Michigan's defense. "You see something in the scouting report or a certain action that other teams run that lets you know what's coming a second or two ahead of time.
"Iggy sniffed that play out and got the deflection. He got the 50-50 ball, which is a huge thing in our program. That play is indicative of a microcosm of his growth."
Brazdeikis said, "They were moving the ball a lot on the wing and I knew that I could make a read and intercept a pass. It was there for me and I just stole the ball."
He's on course to achieve a goal he placed in front of himself right before arriving on campus.
"I told Coach Yak I wanted to be a two-way elite player," said Brazdeikis. "He's helped me grow to get there, and that's what we've been focusing on. I've worked real hard with Coach Yak. I've been grinding every day."
The offense was potent from the start for Brazdeikis, who's averaging 15 points to rank ninth, right behind future All-American and NBA first-round draft pick Phil Hubbard (15.1 in 1975-76), among the school's illustrious freshmen scorers. Jalen Rose (17.6) and Chris Webber (15.5) of the Fab Five are among those ahead of Brazdeikis and behind No. 1 Mike McGee (19.7 in 1977-78).
"That means a lot," Brazdeikis said of joining such company. "I've put a lot of hard work into this and think about basketball 24/7. I can't stop thinking about it. And when I work hard and put in that extra work in the gym, and it comes back to you, and being among the top freshmen players in the country is a great feeling."
The next challenge comes against Florida in Saturday's (March 23) game here to advance to the Sweet 16 next week in Anaheim, California.
"Michigan and Florida were my final two schools," said Brazdeikis, who admires Gator coach Mike White. "But I definitely made the right decision coming here. I love Michigan. It's the perfect place for me."
Brazdeikis has filled the bill for the Wolverines as well.
Michigan head coach John Beilein was asked if Brazdeikis' personality reminded him of Moritz Wagner, the center who carried the Wolverines in many games en route to the 2018 NCAA Final Four.
"Yeah, I think that's a fair comparison," said Beilein. "He is emotional. He loves to celebrate on the court, right? It's almost like you're watching a European soccer game and somebody scores a goal. There's usually something going on there, and he loves that part. You've got to embrace that.
"I know Moe, both of those guys, if they were soccer players they'd have had a celebration every time they scored. So, just like they like winning, they like making plays. They enjoy basketball."
Brazdeikis leaned back in his locker and grinned when hearing that comparison.
"I just love playing and I love celebrating," said Brazdeikis. "I embrace that. I love to get the fans going. I like to get my teammates going. And I've seen Moe play, and he had that kind of energy, too, that smile on his face. I like that, too, and we are similar."
"I would say, 'Yes,' personality-wise, for sure."
He wore No. 13 in part as a tribute to Wagner, and savors the villain's role just like Moe.
"Yeah, 100 percent," said Brazdeikis. "I love coming into hostile environments and just shutting crowds down and getting into it with other players. I feel I'm mature enough not to let it affect my game, and I think that works.
"Honestly, I can't blame them for hating me. It's my personality. You hate me, love me, and at the end of the day, it's the same thing to me."
Whether you root for him or boo him, you know he's in the game.
"Yeah," said Brazdeikis. "They can't not respect you. I take on that kind of villain role. That attitude, that energy, that swagger that (Moe) has, I feel like I have that a little bit, too. I never try to be anyone else other than myself."
Brazdeikis and Wagner, who hosted Iggy on his recruiting visit and is a Los Angeles Lakers rookie, communicate regularly, and Iggy noted that Moe's helped him this season.
"He's always telling me to embrace the moment," said Brazdeikis. "It's a once-in-a-lifetime kind of opportunity."
Brazdeikis said he didn't notice the Montana players mimicking his Superman muscle pose, which Wagner also did, and added that Beilein said "celebration stuff" would be called closer by officials in the tourney. So, Brazdeikis said he wouldn't do anything to draw a foul call.
One big difference between them is that Wagner required so much development that he barely played as a freshman. Brazdeikis was chosen the Big Ten's top freshman.
"It's such an honor," said Brazdeikis, "and that was my goal to win that award. I knew I was going to win it in August, but I'm humbled by that and appreciate it. But I couldn't have done it without my coaches and teammates, who give me that trust."
They all saw how hard he was willing to work to become an "elite" two-way player, and Yaklich knew he had a special player when he received Iggy's challenge.
"It was right before he got to campus and we were texting back and forth," said Yaklich. "One day he texted me and said, 'I want to be an elite defender.' The first day he was on campus, I showed him that text right in the lobby at Crisler and I said, 'Here we go.'"
Yaklich said he was impressed during the August exhibitions in Spain that Brazdeikis "could make adjustments on the fly" and saw the potential for quick improvement.
"One of the hardest things for freshmen is to be able to sniff plays out and see action a second or two ahead of time," said Yaklich. "In Spain, he had no clue what he was doing as far as our defensive scheme. But in September and October, you could tell that the ball screen coverages and other things he was picking it up. Now his ability to apply things in five-on-five situations is really good. There are peaks and valleys as to how he's graded out, but being a four man in the Big Ten is a huge position."
Yaklich noted that the power forward position requires being adept at guarding ball screens, "pick and pop shooters," post-up players, combo players and even being able to switch at times onto opposing point guards. He complimented Duncan Robinson with not only playing that position so well last year, but discussing with Yaklich his ideas on how to develop a "game plan" to playing it with the versatility required.
"Now," said Yaklich, "I'm able to give that knowledge to Iggy this year. He has to go from guarding (Minnesota's) Jordan Murphy to (Penn State's) Lamar Stevens to Justin Smith at Indiana. It's unique, and he's been able to embrace that."
Brazdeikis, who's second on the team with 5.3 rebounds per game, said he's made progress in making reads and "slowing down the game" to put his knowledge to work.
How close is he to achieving "elite" defender status?
"He's way above average for a freshman," said Yaklich. "He's had nights when he's been elite, and nights where he's been average. But if you take a look at the freshman expectations at the four spot, he's been incredibly productive for us. When he has an off day, he usually has a great day the next day because he takes it to heart and learns."
He'll likely face a variety of Gators on Saturday, including 6-foot-5 point guard Andrew Nembhard, who is from suburban Toronto just like Brazdeikis and is a longtime friend.
"It's funny," said Brazdeikis, "We've played for a long, long time together. We played on the (Canadian) national team together and multiple teams together. So, now it's kind of crazy to be matching up on the biggest stage in the world. You never imagined you would play each other."
Brazdeikis is ready to defend, ready to score, ready for the moment.
