ABOVE: A Mott Community College father and son very familiar with NJCAA basketball in Danville: Current player Nate Brown, Jr; and Former player and Assistant Coach Nate Brown, Sr.
A Mott Community College family from the Flint, Michigan area has a long history with the NJCAA Basketball Tournament in Danville. Over 20 years ago, Brenda Brown watched her son Nate as a Mott player, then as a Mott assistant coach. And in 2003, her coaching son was at Danville Area Community College to help head coach Steve Schmidt win his first of four national championships in Danville. Now, her grandson Nate, Jr plays for Coach Schmidt. And there’s even a 2007 picture of a four-year-old Nate, Jr sitting on Coach Schmidts’s lap, saying he’d play for him some day. Brenda Brown says she knew her grandson was having fun at the time, but wasn’t sure it would turn out this way.
The family of Mott Community College player Nate Brown, Jr await the start of Friday morning, March 23’s game against Central Community College. Brenda Brown, Nate Brown, Jaquandra Brown, and Buddy Brown.
AUDIO: I thought at the time, “He’s excited about basketball. He’s following in his father’s footsteps in playing basketball.” I didn’t expect for him to come back, and to play, and to be here.
A flashback to 2007, when Nate Brown, Jr (right); at age four; promised he would someday play for Coach Steve Schmidt at Mott Community College.
Nate Brown, Sr says more than anything his little boy, and his boss the head coach, were great buddies from the start.
AUDIO: I didn’t think much of it then. I just knew that him and Coach were really close when; you know, they were almost inseparable. I think if anything he was committed to Coach. I don’t really think at that age he was, you know, committed to basketball.
But commit to both basketball and Coach Schmidt; Nate, Jr did. And now, both Brenda Brown and her son Nate say Danville’s hospitality is just as strong now as ever before.
AUDIO: (Brenda) So exciting to be here and to watch what’s happening again. The hospitality is great, so I love it. As far as how we are treated as a team, how we are treated as spectators, has been wonderful.
AUDIO: (Nate, Sr) So just to be in this competitive environment, it’s great. I love it here, like I love Danville.
Coach Steve Schmidt and Nate Brown, Jr after Mott’s win over Central Community College (Columbus, NE). Nate Brown, Jr hit the winning shot.
Nate, Sr; in fact; says Nate, Jr remembers his early days coming to the NJCAA Tournament in Danville. Maybe not that clearly, but just that he had fun.
AUDIO: It seemed a lot bigger to him when he was here as a four year old. And he’s like, “Well were there swimming pools? What did I used to do as a kid?” I said “You were just here just for basketball.” To me this is like the basketball town. This should almost be named one of Basketball USA’s major towns.
And Brenda Brown says, yes indeed; around the dinner table with Nate, Sr and Nate, Jr; it’s basketball talk; either about Mott Community College or what other teams are doing
