Player Profile - Brian Grawer
2/21/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 21, 2001
By Kevin Witenko
MU Media Relations
There are some individuals who shy away from the leadership role. They feel the shoes are to big to fill or there is too much work involved. But serving as a leader is something Missouri's Brian Grawer feels he has to do. It is a challenge he has never passed on.
"I've always looked at the point guard position as being the leader," he said. "But that doesn't mean that every team's point guard is their leader."
Just watch Grawer on the floor for five minutes and one will see the leader in him. Whether it is huddling the team after a foul, or shouting out orders from the bench, Grawer knows what to say and when to say it.
"I think I've been more of a leader in everything I do," he said. "I try to consider myself more in charge then the others."
But leadership requires more than just yelling at your teammates and calling for a huddle, it takes determination and focus. And, as a senior, Grawer has come a long way to fit into that role, one which has forced him to adapt every step of the way.
The path brought him to Missouri as a freshman under Norm Stewart and sees him leave under the direction of Quin Snyder. It has been a long road but one that has been fun.
Grawer played on a European tour with other players from the Big 12 Conference last summer. Not only did he get the chance to travel to places he has never seen, but he also had a chance to step up his game going into his senior year.
"It was fun," he said. "That experience makes this year even that much better because in every conference game you know your opponent on a different level," he said. "You get the know them and exchange stories. I look forward to warm-ups and talking to the different guys. It was unbelievable."
However, Grawer is more then just leadership. He's one of the best shooters in the game and is an extreme threat from beyond the three-point arc. Sports Illustrated's 2000-2001 NCAA preview issue stated Grawer was the best shooter in the Big 12 as voted on by his peers in the league. Grawer has refused to let the honor go to his head.
"It was pretty cool," he said. "Coming off my junior year in which I didn't shoot the ball to my standards, it was something that made me see (the conference) still sees me as a threat. It was definitely a compliment."
Grawer shot just 32 percent from behind the arc. The mark was a tremendous letdown after shooting nearly 50 percent and ranking among the nation's best just the year before. But Grawer has turned it around this year, stroking over 42 percent from downtown, Grawer, as of February 14, 2001, tied the MU all time career three-point record with 190.
From the charity stripe, Grawer is one of the conference's most reliable performers. He has made 83.7 percent of his free throws during his career.
On a team with such amazing talent to score in Clarence Gilbert, Kareem Rush and Arthur Johnson, Grawer is content on running the point and feeding his teammates the ball. His game is not about scoring, it is about doing whatever he can to help his team win.
"If they need me to be in the role of scorer, I'll do whatever it takes," he said. "You don't have to base your success on wins and losses. I'm a competitor and I want to win every game I can."
That attitude has been observed with the unfortunate loss of Kareem Rush as Grawer has recently led the Tigers in scoring twice.
He loves the up-and-down play. He has a quick first step and a head fake that "breaks ankles." His ability to score and feed the post did not come naturally, it took years of practice to accomplish. He began playing in team leagues as early as the second grade and never looked back. Hailing from St. Louis, he was born to wear the black and gold, and he hates to see it all come to an end.
"You can look at everything in a game this year as your last," he said. "Being the senior leader on the team I have to view it in the eyes of each individual teammate and try and get them to feel comfortable."
He has plans of becoming a high school teacher but if basketball comes calling, he will be the first to jump on it.
"I love basketball and want to do something with basketball," he said. "If I have the opportunity to keep playing overseas or something, I would definitely do it. I would like to try that out and see what occurs."
If his playing days come to an end, Grawer would not mind coaching. As the son of a coach and one who serves as a coach on the floor, Grawer appears to be a perfect fit for the occupation.
"Basketball is a part of the Grawer life," he said. "I've dedicated so much of my life to basketball I would hate to see it end."
