We like the term "The Brewery" better

"The Brewery" combines two of our passions -- basketball and fine amber liquid. But "Brew Crew" does the job too.

Gauchos are fast becoming a Brew Crew
Mark Patton
Santa Barbara News Press
January 16, 2009

Will Brew Jr. is Brew blood, basketball royalty, named after the point guard who ran some of Ralph Miller's greatest teams at Oregon State.

And now the son also rises. In a hurry.

The first-born son of Will Brew Sr. has become the point man of the Gauchos in just his second season at UCSB.

"Way more leadership. Way more responsibility," coach Bob Williams said. "He's really grown up before our eyes."

Brew is the only Gaucho to have started all 15 games this season, and he's expected to be running the show again tonight when UCSB (8-7, 3-2 Big West Conference) faces UC Riverside (7-9, 1-3) in a 7 o'clock game at the Thunderdome.

He had been groomed for these moments as a child, watching Oregon State highlight reels from the 1980-84 era, and seeing his dad driving and dishing to such stars as A.C. Green.

"I noticed that my dad had the same kind of game that I do," Brew said. "I see a lot of him in me, of playing tight defense, and getting everybody involved on offense.

"He's been an important part of my life, supporting everything I do and encouraging me all the way."

Williams figured that Brew would be doing a lot more watching during his freshman season, learning from two-year starter Justin Joyner. But a persistent wrist injury forced Joyner to red-shirt, thrusting the Berkeley St. Mary's High recruit into a prime role.

Brew started all but eight of UCSB's games as a freshman, although it was hardly his team alone.

"He got a lot of confidence last year, and he played the point, but he was never the only guy out there," Williams said. "It was he, D.J. (Posley) and (Paul) Roemer - there were three guys playing the point.

"D.J. was very vocal and Roem had already been there a long time."

It was expected to be much the same this season, with Joyner and Roemer both returning. But Joyner sprained his ankle badly in preseason workouts and has been sidelined almost all season. And Roemer, one of only two seniors on the team, is out for a month with a stress fracture in his foot.

Brew has become the last man standing at point guard.

"I'm not going to lie, we really miss those guys," Brew said. "Paul and J.J. are great players, great defenders, and they also know how to run the system. Losing them has been a huge loss for us.

"But we have to move forward and concentrate on what's in front of us."

He also admits that the situation has forced him to become more vocal this season.

"I'm running the team now, and coach has put more on my back," Brew said.

Fellow sophomore Orlando Johnson, UCSB's leading scorer with a 16.7-point average, has noticed the difference in his classmate.

"Will would usually just go out there and play hard and do his job," he said. "But now without J.J., who would've been a senior this year, and Paul, who's one of our senior leaders, they're not here to talk to us.

"Will is now definitely taking this team upon his shoulders. He's become more of a leader - way more vocal. You can see that every day."

The injury situation has forced his younger brother, freshman guard Chris Brew, to fill in as his back-up.

"It's a blessing that he's here, but I wish we could play together at the same time more," Will said. "I love playing with him. When we were in high school, we could just read each other's minds.

"When he'd call for the ball, he'd cut and I'd know where to find him. And when he'd be playing defense, I'd know where he was going to turn his man and be able to gamble to get the steal."

Will Brew's steady hand has become crucial for a young team that often struggles with mistakes, having committed 29 turnovers in Thursday's loss at Long Beach State. Even though Brew handles the ball more than any other Gaucho, three other starters have more turnovers, and his assist-to-turnover ratio (42-to-25) ranks among the best in the Big West Conference.

Growing up in a hurry is nothing new for Brew. He played up in age division in AAU ball while playing for the Oakland Soldiers, facing the likes of future NBA stars Tyreke Evans of the Sacramento Kings and Brandon Jennings of the Milwaukee Bucks.

"I was only a freshman in high school when I was playing in the 17-and-unders, and I played the point guard position," Brew said. "I played against Tyreke Evans in the Big Time Tournament when I was about15 - he was just an unbelievable player and made me want to work on my game that much more.

"Brandon Jennings once even played for our team. I'm not going to lie, I got caught just standing and watching him play and doing his thing a couple of times."

Brew is one of four sophomores now starting now for UCSB, but he tries to resist looking too far ahead in the Gauchos' bright future.

"It's my goal to get to the NCAA Tournament this year," he said. "But coach has been talking about this class since we got here, and when Orlando got onto campus (as a transfer), everybody was seeing it.

"When we finally get it really going, it's going to be crazy."

And maybe become worth a few highlight reels of their own.