How Jackson Brown emerged as a big threat on the perimeter for Ballard boys basketball

The opportunities were not coming his way, but Ballard junior guard Jackson Brown did not fret during the Bomber boys basketball team's game against Bondurant-Farrar on Tuesday.

Brown only scored three points in the first half. But after going from a little-used reserve as a sophomore to Ballard's second-leading scorer in one year, he developed enough confidence in himself and trust in his teammates to know he would eventually make a major contribution.

He did.

Brown scored 12 of his 15 points in the second half to help Ballard rally from a seven-point halftime deficit to top the defending Class 3A state champion Bluejays, 73-69.

“I didn’t really touch the ball in the first half, but I just kept telling myself I’ll get going,” Brown said. “I wasn’t too worried about it. I knew my time would come.”

Brown gave Ballard its first lead of the second half with a 3-pointer 52 seconds into the fourth quarter. He added two more baskets and a pair of late free throws in the quarter to help the Bombers hold on for the win to improve to 8-3 overall and 6-2 in the Raccoon River Conference.

“I’m glad he’s on our team,” said Ballard coach Jeff Schertz. “I’m super pleased with the progress he’s made.”

As a sophomore, Brown only averaged 3.2 points per game in limited time off the bench. This season as a junior, he entered Tuesday's game averaging 12.2 points and 4.8 rebounds per night.

Ballard point guard Jude Gibson, who scored 30 in the win, loves having Brown as his wingman. Last year, Mason Gorsh led Ballard in scoring at 16 points per game as the team's top outside threat. Brown has done a good job filling that role now that Gorsh has graduated.

“I had (Mason) Gorsh last year and I have JB even more this year,” Gibson said. “We’re pushing each other and trusting each other.”

More: Why creative Ballard guard Jude Gibson is such a matchup nightmare on the basketball court

Gibson, who is a sophomore, said he has worked out a lot with Brown during the offseason over the past few years. He quickly noticed how committed Brown was to the weight room.

“JB was scrawny and he was long,” Gibson said. “We started getting to the gym a lot when we were in fifth or sixth grade. He would lift more than me.”

Brown started putting even more of a focus on weight training when he entered high school.

“I knew if I wanted to start playing a higher level of basketball, the weight room is very important," Brown said. "I’ve been able to put on quite a few pounds of muscle and it’s really paid off for me.”

The extra muscle has helped him rank as the team's third-leading rebounder. It has also helped him get shots up in the lane against bigger defenders and become a better defensive player.

“Defensively, we don’t hesitate to put him on somebody who is of more importance,” Schertz said. “He’ll play really hard and do things we’ll ask them to do.”

Being a shooting guard, Brown is naturally a reliable outside shooter. He entered the Bondurant-Farrar game leading Ballard in 3-pointers with 15 on 37.5% accuracy.

“I’ve always had confidence in my shot,” Brown said. “Me and my dad (Brandon Brown) are in the gym a lot working on it and I’m glad it’s working out for me.”

But perhaps Brown's biggest strengths are his mental awareness and unselfish attitude on the court.

“He’s a lot of fun to coach,” Schertz said. “He really pays attention to what our coaching staff, and even his teammates, are telling him. He’s a smart player, and when he recognizes a failure he’ll correct those mistakes, take what we’re saying and really try to do that.”

Ballard has not made it to the state tournament since capping a run of three straight trips with a runner-up finish in 3A during the 2020-2021 season. Brown thinks he can help the Bombers get back there this March.

“The goal is obviously to make it to state and win the state championship,” Brown said. “I feel like we can beat anybody on our schedule. I’m excited for the future of our team.”

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Brown will certainly take productive scoring stretches like he had during the second half Tuesday. But he is far more interested in doing all of the little things necessary to help his team get back to Wells Fargo Arena.

“I’m just trying to help the team win any way that I can — whether it’s scoring, rebounding, passing or defense,” Brown said. “That’s really all I’ve got.”

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Ballard guard Jackson Brown is building confidence on the perimeter