Get to Know CU Basketball’s Brett Brady

Not a lot of people know who Brett Brady is, at least not at the collegiate level. He started out his freshman year as a practice player with the Buffs, but after the Colorado coaches saw what he could do on the court, they let him walk on the next year.

But his story doesn’t start there. Not by a long shot. In his four years at Highlands Ranch High School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado Brady lettered in basketball three times. During his senior year, he led the entire state of Colorado with three-pointers made and recorded the most treys in a single game with eight.

When he became a Buff two years ago, Brady knew he wanted to take his love for basketball to the next level, no matter what that meant. Although he did not receive a scholarship from the team nor did he walk on as a freshman, he still did what he could to help the team as a practice player.

“Really, I was just glad to be a part of the team,” Brady said. “I tried to work hard in practice to help everyone and do what I was asked to. I knew I wasn’t going to be the most important part but I knew I was going to play some part to the team, to help the guys push themselves to be better.”

Despite playing a more behind-the-scenes role during practices, Brady was still able to catch the coaches’ attention with his work ethic and his three-point shooting. At the end of his freshman year, he approached Head Coach Tad Boyle and his staff to see if there was an open spot for him on the team.

“I talked to the coaches before, looking for an opportunity to walk on,” Brady said. “It just happened that they had a spot. I was lucky enough to try out and make the team.”

While Brady certainly believes his precision behind the arc was a major factor in convincing the coaches to let him walk on, he thinks his mentality played a key role as well.

“(What got me the spot) was probably mostly my three-point shooting,” Brady said. “I think it was also being a ‘team-first’ person and being a good person and what’s best for the team.”

That “team-first” state of mind paid off last year during the few games that he saw playing time. In two of the four games that he took the court, Brady contributed a trey against UT Martin and another Arkansas State, shooting 2-for-4 from behind the arc.

While a couple treys may not seem extraordinary to most people, Brady saw them as the next step to accomplishing something he’s been building towards for a long time. “It felt good being able to live out your dream in a college game and actually scoring in one,” he said.

As for this upcoming season, Brady hopes to take his talents to the court more often as he helps his team succeed for the third year straight.

“I’m definitely looking forward to getting out on the floor this year and having another chance to make shots,” he said.

Brady and the Buffs will begin the 2014-15 season on Friday, November 14 against the Drexel Dragons at 6:00 p.m. in Boulder, CO.