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Women's Basketball
vs. South Florida
Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Lady Owl Focus - Jackie Brown
12/9/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 9, 2004
In the 2004 FAU women's basketball media guide, senior forward Jackie Brown lists her favorite athlete as J. Smooth.
The funny thing is, Brown and J. Smooth are the same person.
J is for Jackie and Smooth is for the way she plays the game of basketball: fluid and with such ease that, at times, it appears she is moving in slow motion.
"My AAU coach gave me the nickname Smooth," says Brown, who began playing basketball on the street in her hometown of Vallejo, California, before progressing to a local youth league.
"Someone came into our class and was handing out flyers," said Brown. "I brought one home and showed it to my dad and he was like `let me think about this'. He ended up paying for me and all my (three) sisters to play."
Brown, who unashamedly claims to be the best player among the four siblings, was a three-year all-city and all-league selection in high school before beginning her college career at Contra Costa College in San Pablo, California.
As a Comet she flourished, winning numerous awards in her two years. She also scored a game-high 23 points in the 2003 California Community College championship game, in which Contra Costa fell 69-61 to the Orange Coast Pirates.
After completing her two years of competition with the Comets, her coach Paul DeBolt began shopping her around to various four-year schools around the country, including FAU.
"Either Coach Dugan or Coach Glazer responded", said Brown. "I'd never heard of FAU, but I spent my 20th birthday here and although I didn't like being away from home, I liked the Florida heat."
Brown had an immediate impact in her first year as an Owl, finishing third on the team in points (7.9) and rebounds per game (4.7). She was also second in field goal percentage (.494) behind leading scorer Trineca McCleod.
"Every position counts," says Brown of the difference between junior college and Division I ball. "In junior college, you can get away with turnovers. In D-I, they will come back to bite you in the end."
Brown's head coach, Chancellor Dugan, has helped the Lady Owls program back to a respectable level after the struggles in the mid-to-late nineties. After inheriting a team that went 5-21 in 1998-99, Dugan has averaged over 13 wins a season in her five years at the helm.
"If you mess up, she's on you, but if you're doing well, she'll let you know it," said Brown of Dugan's sideline intensity. "It's not just a bunch of negativity. Her game plan is there and when we finally follow it, we'll have a lot more W's and a lot less L's."
The Owls are off to a slow start this season, but that's nothing out of the ordinary. Two years ago, they got off to a 2-9 start before going 12-5 to close out the year. Last season, FAU was at 3-12 before winning nine of its last 13 games. Brown knows that her team is close to getting over the hump and making their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.
"We need everybody to step up and stop waiting for one person to do it," said Brown. "We start off the game intense but as the game goes on, it fades away. Coach Dugan is always intense, but she can't bring it onto the court with her."
Brown, Dugan, and the rest of her Lady Owls will look for their second win of the season on Saturday when they head to Miami to take on former and future conference rivals Florida International at 7 p.m. The game can be heard live on WLVJ 1040-AM.
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