One last dance for Jon Brockman

Once again, Jon Brockman is following the footsteps of Brandon Roy. Three seasons ago, Roy’s home court shifted from Washington’s Hec Edmundson Pavilion to Portland’s Rose Garden, home of the NBA’s Trail Blazers. And today, Brockman and the Huskies are in Portland and will work out at the Rose Garden preparing for their NCAA tournament opener there at around 1:45 p.m. Thursday against Mississippi State.
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• UW VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE: Thursday, 1:45 p.m., Ch. 7

“We were hoping, being so close to home in Portland,” Brockman said. “For me personally, friends and family get to come down and watch, which will be really special.”

The careers of Roy and Brockman are linked in several ways, starting with their status as local guys – Roy from Seattle, and Brockman from Snohomish – who chose to stay close to home at UW.

Their college careers overlapped for one season – 2005-06 – Washington’s last NCAA tournament team before this one.

That season, Brockman was a freshman learning about the college game, while Roy was a senior leading UW to a third consecutive NCAA tournament.

Like this UW team, that one earned a first-round assignment on the West Coast – in that case, San Diego.

To advance out of the second round, that UW team had to get past a Big Ten school – Illinois, while this team’s bracket could match them with No. 5 seed and Big Ten tournament winner Purdue.

After Roy’s team advanced to the Sweet 16, its first opponent was Connecticut. And if this season’s bracket holds to form, that’s who will be awaiting UW again.

For all the teams have in common, Brockman doesn’t hesitate when asked how the teams are different.

“That team had kind of the Brandon Roy factor,” he said. “A lot of what we did with that team was get out of the way, give Brandon the ball, and let him go to work. And he got a lot done for us.”

Brockman said his early exposure to March Madness was good for them and current fellow seniors Justin Dentmon and Artem Wallace.

But he said it made him ache all the more over the next two Selection Sundays, when Washington’s name wasn’t called. And he said it added urgency to their senior season and will help them appreciate this appearance in ways they couldn’t as freshmen.

“It was all so new to me,” Brockman said. “I didn’t really understand what was going on. Even looking back on it now, I didn’t realize the magnitude of it. I didn’t realize what was going on with that team. I’m a lot more aware now.”

In 2006, Roy was the unquestioned leader – on and off the court. This time, it’s Brockman.

“When you think of Jon Brockman, most people think of his hard-nosed rugged play and his ability to rebound,” UW coach Lorenzo Romar said. “But they don’t see Jon Brockman in the airports, they don’t see him in the locker room, they don’t see him rallying the troops together all the time, they don’t see him practicing every day as if he was trying to earn a scholarship. Those things rub off.”

And although Roy is a guard and Brockman a power forward, they share similar approaches to the game. Both are pure team players, able to lead their team in scoring or to influence a game without scoring much. Neither judges himself by his point total.

Both lead most naturally by example, but are willing to speak up.

“Saying the right thing at the right time is probably the biggest thing, and it’s still a challenge,” Brockman said at the start of this season. “You’ve got to do it on a personal level with each player on the team, and you’ve got to do it at a group level. And you’ve got to know when you need to get after people, and when coach is getting after them and I need to encourage them. Growing up, I was always the kind of guy who would lead by example. I wouldn’t say much. … This year, I feel more comfortable than I ever have getting after guys – not in a mean way, in a way that’s going to get them better, get them to play harder.”

Brockman said his graduation to leadership was easier because he had a season to watch Roy.

“It’s great having someone like Brandon for me to step in there and show me how it’s done,” Brockman said. “He wasn’t by my side every single day pointing things out, but I was able to observe him. … I think being consistent every single time is the biggest thing I learned observing Brandon. He missed shots, he made mistakes, but it was how he bounced back from them. He was better after he made his mistakes. That was the biggest thing I learned from him.”

Once this season ends, Brockman hopes to follow Roy one more time – into the NBA.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to play in the NBA, so I’ll pursue that as much as I can,” Brockman said. “… I want to keep playing as long as I can, so wherever that takes me. If it’s hopefully here in the States because the NBA is a goal of mine. But if Europe is a place for me, then I’ll go play in Europe. I might as well play as long as I can.”

Roy was a first-round pick who went on to be named NBA rookie of the year and is now a two-time All-Star.

NBA scouts see Brockman as a player whose around-the-basket game won’t translate as easily to the next level.

Romar said he believes Brockman deserves his chance because he brings qualities that every team can use.

“I just think because he’s not a big dunker and not flashy, and doesn’t hit a lot of 3s, people take him for granted,” Romar said “… You’re talking about Jon Brockman, who at times has taken four, six shots in a game because defenses just collapsed at him and he’s out smiling and laughing and cheering guys on and diving for balls. … He’s constantly coming at you.”

Don Ruiz, 253-597-8808

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