Brew gives a verbal

A family trip to sunny Southern California turned into a college commitment by Will Brew Jr. While on an official visit to UC Santa Barbara, which involved converation with some of the players and coaches, Brew was offered a basketball scholarship by the Gauchos coaching staff, which he readily accepted.

"I know they were hearing a lot of stuff about me and how I play," said Brew. "After I got down to Santa Barbara, the head coach called me and told me they had a scholarship on the table. I thought about it for a day and then I accepted it."

Other schools recruiting the 6-foot-3 guard from St. Mary's High in Berkeley included Arizona State, Oregon, Oregon State, Davis, St. Mary's, Pepperdine, Long Beach State, Tulsa, and Army.

"I liked the environment, the people, the weather and the coaches," said Brew. "I also got to talk to Alex Harris and Justin Joyner when I was down there, and I found out a lot of good things about the school."

Brew was drawn to the Gauchos because of the weather and the strong bay area connections the team has. Currently on the Gauchos' roster are former bay area prep standouts Alex Harris (St. Joseph), Justin Joyner (De La Salle), Paul Roemer (De La Salle), Ivan Elliott (Wallenberg), Jesse Byrd (Bishop O'Dowd) and Spencer Ford (Gilroy).

He also liked the teams' improvement, as it went 18-11 last season, coming in second place in the Big West Conference with a 9-5 mark, and the opportunity to come in and play immediately. Another attraction is the possibility to play with his brother.

UCSB has also offered Brew's younger brother Chris, a 6-foot-3 sophomore guard, but he has yet to accept according to the boys' father, William Brew Sr. The elder Brew said he was happy with his son's decision and the possibility his sons will be playing together in college.

"After going on a visit to Oregon last week, where Will was offered, we started to analyze his situation and what he wanted to do," said Brew Sr. "After looking at various schools and UCSB, Will has a chance to play immediately, get a UC education and play in a beautiful environment. Also, there is a strong chance that Santa Barbara will have the two Brews Will and Chris being their future backcourt."

This past season, Jr. averaged 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists a game in 34 games. St. Mary's finished with a 29-5 record, including a North Coast Section Division IV title and a game away from the Division IV state finals. The Panthers were the runners-up in the Northern California Division IV finals, as they lost to Cardinal Newman.

Many Nodar, Brew's coach at St. Mary's said the Gauchos will be getting a player who is a very good teammate. "UBSB is a good place for him and he will fit right in playing there," said Nodar. "One of the things that stands out about him is how hard he plays. He is a very good teammate, team player and he has a good understanding of the team concept."

In getting Brew, UCSB will get a big guard with a nice frame, who is a very good defender. He is very good at slashing to the basket and creating scoring opportunities for his teammates off the dribble.

While Brew had the opportunity to go and play at a bigger school, it was not a top priority according to his father. "Because I played in the Pac 10, I wanted my son to play in the Pac 10," said Brew Sr., who played in the backcourt for Oregon State from 1980-1984. "But sometimes, the bigger school is not the best thing. At UCSB, he can go in there and play immediately. He has the skill level to play right now."

According to Carl Foster, Director of Brew's club team, the Oakland Soldiers, Santa Barbara is an excellent fit. "When you run a major college program, and you are a veteran coach, you realize how valuable a guy is who not concerned by stats but consumed by team play," said Foster. "Will Brew's game is reminiscent of one of his father's college teammates, Lester Connor, a selfless self-made player, who is not focused on trying to make it look good, but focused on making it happen."

Brew will sign his letter of intent in November. He will finish his summer play with the Oakland Soldiers as they participate in the Reebok National Championship and the Best of Summer Tournament in Los Angeles, before embarking on his last high school season at St. Mary's.