We had Brandon at a camp last summer and it was a pleasure to work with him. He is a first class kid and great leader. Keep up the good work Brandon and good luck the rest of the season!
Originally Posted by Mark Miller of wishoops.net on 12/17/09
You could search the state of Wisconsin over and not find a player who competes with as much passion as Kiel senior Brandon Gries.
The toughness and competitiveness Gries displays on a nightly basis for the Raiders is one of the main reasons they have won their first four games of the season.
A sturdy 6-foot-0 combination guard, Gries is averaging a robust 25.75 points per contest for coach Jamie Arenz. He poured in 35 in a 75-66 overtime victory over Sheboygan Falls last week and in the process became the school’s all-time scoring leader with 1,135 points.
“Brandon has always been a good leader for us from the time he was a freshman,” Arenz said. “But now, he’s simply an amazing leader. There is absolutely no question who our leader is.”
A two-time first-team all-league selection in the Eastern Wisconsin Conference, Gries is an under-the-radar performer who may not have the size or overall skill of players ranked ahead of him, but more than makes up for it with his tenacity on both ends of the court.
Indeed, few players in Wisconsin get more out of their ability than Gries.
“The greatest area of improvement for Brandon has been his outside shooting,” Arenz said. “When he was a sophomore, he was a suspect perimeter shooter. But now, he has become a very consistent three-point shooter and has added that to his game. He remains a dominant inside player because of his physical strength.”
The younger brother of former Marquette University walkon Tony Gries, Brandon Gries has knocked down eight three-points in victories over Chilton, Plymouth, Cedar Grove and Sheboygan Falls.
In the 61-46 victory over perennial league powerhouse Plymouth, Gries poured in a game-high 27 point.
“That was a huge victory for our program,” said Arenz, now in his eighth year in charge of the Kiel program. “It was important because it showed we could compete and beat a very, very good opponent.”
Kiel has some even more challenging games coming up on its schedule as it meets league-rival and highly regarded Waupun twice along with non-league games against Winnebago Lutheran and Valders.
With Gries leading the way on both ends of the court, few are overlooking the Raiders, who finished 10-11 a year ago.
“Brandon is a tenacious defender and we will put him on (Austin) Armga when we play Waupun,” Arenz said. “The thing with Brandon is he is so much smarter this year about how he goes about his defense. He knows how to avoid foul trouble. He is clearly our best defender.”
Arenz said St. Norbert College is showing very strong interest in Gries. “Brandon took a visit to St. Nobert and likes the school and the basketball program very much,” Arenz said. “But he won’t make a commitment until after the season.”
Tags: Brandon Gries
