Wazzu takes notice of Winona big

Since the Winona Winhawks added 6-foot-10 big man Alec Brown to their frontcourt things have been looking….up. Winona has won eight of ten games with Brown playing, which has improved their record to 12-10 on the season. It didn't take long for colleges to take notice as Washington State has already been into Winona to watch Brown play.

"We are 8-2 since Alec has joined the playing ranks," said Winhawk coach Rocky Peterson. "Of course, not all is attributed to Alec, but I could tell a mental change in our team.

"Not only does Alec's size bring a presence on the defensive end, he is a scorer averaging 14 points with six rebounds a game. He is also averaging three blocks and we don't keep stats on altered shots, but I know he has many a game. Our opponent's shooting percentage has dropped nine percent in the last ten games. Some of it is on the interior, but his presence in the middle allows us to pressure the perimeter also."

Brown has played in only ten games but it took even less than that for Brown to receive division one high major attention.

"Washington State came to watch him play this season and appear to be very interested," Peterson explained. "I'm sure there will be other big school programs interested in him as he continues to progress."

So how does a 6-foot-10 athlete just appear out of nowhere? The old fashioned way, he grew! Much like current Wisconsin Badger Jon Leuer added several inches while at Orono, Brown has experienced a massive growth spurt down in Winona.

"Alec grew over seven inches from the end of his sophomore season to the beginning of this year," coach Peterson explained. "He has a great touch from the perimeter and can put the ball on the floor. I was amazed to see his coordination keep up with his growth without a readjustment period. Alec continues to improve every outing."

And with Brown's improvement has come the improvement of the Winhawks. Keep in mind that before Brown stepped foot on the floor for his first game Winona was 4-8. Since that point Winona has won eight of ten contests including the last six in a row.

"We are now beginning to understand our roles and are playing with a lot of confidence," coach Peterson stated. "There may be a couple of favorites in section 1AAAA, but there won't be any easy games. I think the title is up for grabs, it will depend on who can put together some quality outings."

With seeding meetings happening early this week it's expected that Winona will play in the four-five game. In front of the Hawks in terms of seeding are surely Farmington, Northfield, and Owatonna with Rochester Mayo and Rochester Century bringing up the rear. In the middle is Rochester John Marshall who Winona beat so they have the edge there but what about 11-13 Hastings? Expect Winona to get that four seed and Hastings to be traveling because for 1.) Winona has a better record and 2.)Look around the section, Hastings has no conference friends to boost them.