Air Force’s Byron Brown embracing various roles in first season as regular player
His numbers might not show it, but Byron Brown has become an increasingly valuable player for Air Force.
A junior, Brown is playing his first year as an everyday player. Though his stats (averages of 3.9 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1 assist) aren’t flashy, his hustle and athleticism have been crucial.
Air Force Falcons guard Byron Brown (11) prepares to pass the ball during a home game against the Omaha Mavericks on Sunday, Nov. 19, 2023.
“I’m just trying to help out wherever I can,” said Brown, a native of Sahuarita, Ariz., and the first player from his high school to score 1,000 points.
Brown has played in every game this year for the Falcons (7-7, 0-2 Mountain West), but his role has consistently changed.
He played only six minutes in the opener against Portland State before seeing more than 20 in four of the next five games. His minutes then decreased when forward Rytis Petraitis returned from a shoulder injury. Recently, Brown has become Air Force’s first player off the bench.
Wherever the team needs him, Brown is there.
“We have to improvise and put people in different spots,” Brown said.
Brown is playing his third year of college basketball said it feels like his first. He appeared in only 10 games in his first two years and scored just four points.
But after two years spent primarily as a spectator, Brown believes he is better prepared to be a regular player.
“On the bench, you kind of see the game from a different perspective,” Brown said. “Watching it for two years, I was able to mentally prepare myself for when I go out there, and it’s really helped me this year.”
Air Force’s Byron Brown grabs a rebound against Eastern Washington on Dec. 9 at the Air Force Academy.
Brown has also developed through his friendship with fellow junior Jeffrey Mills. Mills and Brown became close while playing together at Air Force’s prep school.
Mills became an everyday player quicker than Brown did, as he started 27 games in his first two seasons. But Mills and Brown are similar in the fact that their motors and value to the team aren’t necessarily reflected on the box score every game.
That reassured Brown that he had a role on the team.
“Seeing him hustle has kind of inspired me and my game,” Brown said. “We’ve been together since the prep school.”
An issue for Air Force in the last few weeks has been the Falcons’ reliance on the starting five.
Junior guard Ethan Taylor leads the nation in minutes per game with 38.5. The Falcons have three of the Mountain West’s top five minutes leaders in Taylor, Mills (third, 35.9 mpg) and Kellan Boylan (fifth, 35.1 mpg).
Air Force’s Byron Brown drives against Northern Colorado on Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023.
Falcons seem unlikely to be competitive in a deep league with a shallow bench — and that’s where Brown comes in.
Brown has been the Falcons’ most prominent backup, scoring 11 points with seven rebounds across 36 minutes in the team’s first two Mountain West games. And he believes he can be a leader to Air Force’s other reserves.
“I try to lead by example in practice,” Brown said. “I try to show the other people coming along off the bench how we have to play to get time.”
Air Force’s Byron Brown controls the ball during a Nov. 6 game at the academy.
Air Force’s Byron Brown shoots against Eastern Washington on Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023.