The Brewer men both have big games on Thursday night; Morehouse College head basketball coach Grady Brewer and the Maroon Tigers have a rivalry season-finale at Forbes Arena against the Clark Atlanta University Panthers. Sandy Creek High School senior forward Xavier Brewer and the Patriots are playing in the second round of the AAAA playoffs against Stephens County High School.
The father and son duo won’t have the opportunity to watch each other go to work on Thursday but they will have plenty of time to compare notes for the next four years.
Xavier has committed to play his college basketball at Morehouse College for his father. “He can play most positions,” said coach Brewer, himself an alumnus and former Maroon Tiger player. “From a young age I taught Xavier to guard all positions as well.” The 2018 Morehouse recruiting class was strong but the addition of Xavier, a 6’8” small forward/off-guard makes it that much stronger. “Xavier is a modern day type of player. He can play everything from the two to the five [positions],” says his father.
Xavier is averaging 11 points, 6.5 rebounds, one steal and 1.5 blocks per game for a 23-5 Sandy Creek team that looks to return to the AAAA FInal Four. As a junior Xavier averaged 5.6 points and 4.2 rebounds on a veteran team coached by former head coach Anthony McKissic. He played in all 30 games last season and has done the same this season for Patriots head coach Jon-Michael Nickerson.
Balancing coaching a prized recruit that just so happens to be his son will be tough for coach Brewer but he’s up for the challenge. “It’s going to be a good and bad thing,” says Brewer of coaching his son. “Good because I’m able to coach him and bad because now I have to learn to be coach on the floor and not dad. I promised myself anytime we are not on the floor I will just be dad.”
The coach, like most of us, has an exception to the rule. “Unless he asks me a question.”
Father and son have big games to worry about, next season can wait, hopefully until they are both celebrating respective championships.
