Omari Brown to fly with the Thunderbirds

Good athletes, good players and good citizens is the sought after trifecta of basketball recruiting in a nutshell and count former Sacred Heart Cathedral-incoming Merritt Thunderbird Omari Brown as checking the box in all three of those categories.

The 6-foot-1 Brown chose Merritt based on "it's a great school and they we're very welcoming. It's a good fit for me and they get their players better." He'll play at the point.

It seems there was never any doubt that he would end up playing hoops. "Basketball has been in my family since before me. My grandfather, my mother and my brother all played it. Brown tried football but "didn't like it." Then it was baseball and basketball and the latter won out because "I think I can take the game really far."

He cites his grandfather as his greatest roundball influence. "He's the first person to teach me how to play and is my greatest supporter."

So what will Brown bring to the squad located in the Oakland hills? "Leadership, being a team player and playing hard. I want to put my teammates in the best position possible. His Sacred Heart Cathedral squad made it two games into the state championship tournament before running into the eventual state runnerup Campolindo High buzzsaw. Still, he scored 12 points in that loss.

He described his leadership style as "getting on people when they aren't doing what they need to do but also encouraging my teammates when something goes wrong."

"Omari is a quality student, person and athlete," Thunderbird Coach Keenan McMiller offered. "He wants to improve as a player and desires to win a championship. Omari want to improve his leadership and wants to be a great teammate. We will improve his overall game mentally and physically. He is a sleeper prospect waiting to emerge with hard work. I am excited to work with Omari and welcome him to Merritt College."

As far as growth in his skills set, Brown explained, "in my freshman year, I didn't look for a shot, I was more of a passer who could take it to the basket and shoot layups. I was good defensively but couldn't shoot. So I lifted, got stronger and made varsity in the 11th grade. I became a much better shooter in 12th grade."

With a 3.3 grade point average, he is looking to major in kinesiology with the idea of becoming a physical therapist or trainer.