SDSU Courting Disaster : Men’s Basketball Team, Brandenburg Troubled
More than winning, more than learning, more than competing, San Diego State basketball has been about unhappiness, conflicts and, eventually in many cases, departure during Jim Brandenburg’s five-year tenure as Aztec coach.
A total of 18 of 37 players Brandenburg landed as recruits through this fall have not played out their full four seasons of eligibility.
Four didn’t qualify academically to enroll at SDSU. Three more left for academic reasons. One was suspended the last part of his senior season for allegedly stealing textbooks from the campus bookstore.
And 10 more left for a variety of personal reasons.
This season, the Aztecs have lost 10 consecutive games and are averaging nearly 18 turnovers per game. But the personnel turnover has hurt even worse. In Brandenburg’s fifth year, eight of the 11 SDSU players are underclassmen. There is only one senior.
When asked about this turnover and player dissatisfaction, Brandenburg said the bulk of the problems rests with players who want more playing time, get frustrated and then leave.
In the past year, five players have quit, and the problems plaguing this year’s team cut much deeper than its 2-15 record. Judging from interviews conducted this month by The Times with several current Aztecs and some who left, the future of SDSU basketball doesn’t look much better.
One current Aztec said several players on this year’s team are unhappy and already are talking about quitting or transferring.
“Oh my God,” the player said, “at least half the team.”
Said another current Aztec: “There are going to be some major surprises for people. Stay tuned. It’s going to get wild as soon as the season ends. There are going to be some big-time things happening here.”
Why all the unrest?
“College basketball with Brandenburg is like a bad marriage,” said Neal Steinly, who left the team last winter, midway through his senior season, and has since moved back to Arizona. “You just have to put up with him.”
Current players interviewed--all of whom were fearful of jeopardizing scholarships or having their playing time cut--spoke with the understanding their names would not be used. In nearly every interview, several common themes were voiced:
- There is far too much turnover each season.
Brandenburg’s reply: “I think it’s pretty simple. You’ve got people that want playing time. If there is no playing time immediately, they become dissatisfied and go elsewhere. It has to be their decision.”
* There is poor communication between Brandenburg and the players.
Brandenburg’s reply: “Not at all.”
* Brandenburg is too negative and there is very little positive feedback, if any.
Brandenburg’s reply: “I disagree with that. Those are players who are having problems playing at a Division I level talking about frustration and interacting with coaches when they are not measuring up. That’s what that is all about.”
* Players play tentatively because they are afraid of getting yanked out of the game if they make a mistake.
Brandenburg’s reply: “Same response. We’ve got players who are having a hard time stepping up and making the adjustment to Division I basketball. If they have not stepped up and made the starting lineup and are coming in off the bench, it is difficult to come in cold and lift the team with defense and rebounding and make a positive contribution. Once again, it’s the same thing. Young people making the adjustment to Division I basketball and making excuses.”
One current Aztec, referring to the frequency of transfer, said: “A redshirt year is like gold if you’re in this program. It’s like a Visa Gold Card. . . .
“I don’t see us winning more than two games (the rest of) the year. I’m being dead honest. You should name your article, ‘No rhyme, no reason.’ Or, ‘Turnover.’ ”
Said another player: “I hate how people look at SDSU. Like we’re bad kids. We’re not.”
Brandenburg, who never had a losing season in two years at Montana and nine at Wyoming, was hired by Fred Miller, SDSU athletic director, in 1987 to replace Smokey Gaines. Brandenburg, 54, has yet to have a winning season at SDSU, and this year’s team is on track to have a similar record as Gaines’ final team, which produced the worst record in school history, 5-25.
Brandenburg has two years remaining on his contract, and Miller this week gave what has become his standard reply when asked about Brandenburg’s future at SDSU.
“We’ll evaluate this thing toward the end of the season,” Miller said.
When asked if any players had approached him to complain, Miller replied: “No, but if they did, I would not report it publicly. I think those would be privileged conversations.”
Steinly, a reserve center from 1987 through 1991, approached The Times a few weeks after brothers Mark and Neal Pollard quit last December. He said he wanted to talk because he was tired of watching the same old thing.
“I don’t want to sound like I have hard feelings, because I really don’t,” Steinly said. “There are some things people should know. It’s obvious there is a problem. I don’t know how many players have quit in four years but, if you think about it, it’s enough for a whole squad.”
It is.
Dana Jackson, now a forward at Minnesota, has started 14 of 19 games for the Golden Gophers (12-7).
“I wasn’t really emerging as a player the way I wanted to (at SDSU),” said Jackson, who played on the 1988-89 SDSU team. “We had seven new faces out there on the team, and I just thought I should move on.”
Shawn Jamison, who left SDSU for academic reasons after the 1989-90 season and now plays at Texas San Antonio, has started 10 of 16 games and is averaging 9.5 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.
James Lewis, a guard, transferred to Southern Utah State after last season, and Chris McKinney, a starting guard from last year’s team, is playing at Midland (Tex.) Community College. Eeric White is at Southwest Missouri State. The list goes on.
“Things have happened, but (some of) those guys went to other schools and are playing well,” a current Aztec said.
Current Aztecs said they were not attempting to absolve themselves of blame completely for the 2-15 record. But they also said they feel trapped in a no-win situation.
“In the final analysis, yes, it’s the players,” one player said. “But we’re underachieving right now. There’s no rhyme or reason to be (2-15) with the talent we have.
“The big problem is we haven’t had the ability to keep a team together. . . . This program over the years has made too many excuses for people.
“The only reason we beat the University of San Diego once in the last three years was because we had great athletes then. The bottom line is, they’ve got a better coach.
“We all laugh at that school, and they’ve kicked our ass two of the last three years.”
Lewis, who transferred to Southern Utah after sitting on the bench much of last season, left in search of more playing time and because he said he didn’t respect Brandenburg.
“He keeps using excuses; he has new players and young players,” Lewis said. “If he could keep players in his program, he would have a pretty mature club right now. You need to blend new players and young players.
“As long as he’s there, he’s going to continue to lose players. He’ll always have young players. I guess that will be his excuse for the rest of his life.”
The Pollards quit in December and transferred. Mark Pollard has enrolled at Southern Utah, and Neal is at Utah State. Both are playing basketball.
“This was supposed to be the year we could have really done something,” said Mark Pollard, part of Brandenburg’s first recruiting class in 1987. He played a season, went on a two-year Mormon mission and then returned to SDSU last season.
“I don’t want to point fingers at anyone; I just know people are unhappy,” he said. “I feel bad for the players. It’s too bad.
“My freshman year, I roomed with Neal Steinly, Jon Baskin and Ty Walker. It’s amazing. All four of us ended up quitting.”
Baskin was one of Gaines’ recruits.
Marty Dow, last year’s starting center who is now playing for Raleigh (N.C.) in the Global Basketball Assn., acknowledged that various conflicts have led to transfers.
“A lot of it is personality conflicts between players and coaches and players and players,” Dow said. “It’s nobody’s fault. It’s individuality. That’s the biggest thing that happens there.”
Said Steinly: “(Brandenburg) claims to be a good communicator and motivator, and he probably is,” Steinly said. “If he had a winning program, we probably would have seen it.
“But he doesn’t communicate with his players. He has no clue what goes on or how we feel.”
One player pointed out, however, “Brandenburg does not typify his staff. They are very caring coaches and really want what’s best for you.”
“He’s kind of a phony,” said another Aztec. “He has a phony smile (that makes you think he cares).”
Every player interviewed said Brandenburg’s demeanor causes many problems.
“I think he’s a good coach--I’d probably give him a B,” Steinly said. “But as a person, I’d give him a D-minus.
“He gets upset, he’s grouchy, you can’t talk to him. He always has something negative to say. If you’re going to be a good coach and communicate, you have to have a balance of both. If you’re a good person and a rotten coach, that ain’t going to work, either.
“All the time, on the road or at home, most of the players try to avoid him.”
A common complaint brought up by several players interviewed is that Brandenburg is hypercritical.
“It’s very rare you hear, ‘That was a good play,’ ” one Aztec said. “Usually when you watch films, it’s rewind the tape and see what you did wrong here. . . . We’re not asking people to kiss our ass. We’re not asking to be stroked. An occasional ‘Nice job’ would do.”
Another example, from the same player:
“In the huddle, he berates people,” the player said. “Often times, you end up scrambling out of the huddle and still not knowing what to do.
“It hurts when (teams) like Yale are laughing at us, and they don’t even have scholarships.”
Yale defeated SDSU, 69-62, on Jan. 2. Ivy League schools do not offer athletic scholarships.
“I don’t understand how he can treat people the way he does,” one player said. “Not just the players; people like the trainers. You say his name around school and people cringe.
“After a while, you don’t even want to talk to the man.”
Added another Aztec player: “Maybe he’s just been like this and you have got to learn how to deal with it. People are going to be people. But it’s surprising some of the things he says to people. It’s part of every day life with him.”
Many players interviewed also cited philosophical differences with Brandenburg. For the most part, college basketball today is a fast-paced game, and players want to run. Brandenburg prefers a controlled pace and wants several passes made before each shot.
“He’s coaching in the past,” Steinly said. “Sometimes we play too conservative. . . . If you don’t take chances in a game, you’re not going to win. It’s the same thing in life--you can’t be too conservative, but you can’t be too wild, either.”
Almost all of the players interviewed wondered why players who specialize in a fast game--such as McKinney, who played last season as a freshman and then quit--are recruited by SDSU.
“If you look at some of the top coaches in the nation, (Duke’s) Mike Krzyzewski, (Louisville’s) Denny Crum, guys who have been around 20 years, they change with the times,” one Aztec said. “Even if you look at pro football, Don Shula has changed with the times.”
Several players also complained bitterly that Brandenburg’s substitutions are not based on a rotation but rather on who makes mistakes. They said most players eventually learn to expect being benched the minute they err.
Said one current Aztec: “The team is so trained that if you make a turnover, you know you’re coming out. He has no faith in the players. So you play tentative, to try and stay in the game. That’s not right at all.
“Some guys won’t shoot because they know if they miss, they’re coming out.”
Said Steinly: “It’s like a conquest with him to get somebody out of the game as quickly as possible.”
The episodes repeat: A player makes a mistake, and Brandenburg immediately summons a substitute. The player who made the mistake gets chewed out as he is coming off the court, and many times talks back at Brandenburg.
Players commonly frown, roll their eyes or smirk as they are entering or leaving games. It is noticeable to most fans, and a columnist for the Albuquerque (N.M.) Journal even wondered about it in print earlier this season.
“We’ve said time and time again that we’ve got to forget about Coach and play, but it weighs on your mind,” one player said. “Instead of playing to win, we’re playing not to be taken out. We play to not make a mistake. We’ve become generic players. You cannot be effective that way.”
Steinly and Mark Pollard also complained about Brandenburg’s attitude when he discovered they were getting married, and several others confirmed this.
“When I got back (from summer break) and told him I had gotten married, was glad to be back and was looking forward to some good things this year, he said, ‘Well, don’t expect me to be happy about it,’ ” Mark Pollard said. “It seemed like he had a grudge against married players.
“It was just another pile.”
Said Steinly: “One thing I still don’t appreciate was that when I told him I was getting married, he became very upset. He thought it would ruin my concentration, but I was concentrating twice as much because I wasn’t going home (to Arizona) every weekend.”
Said a current Aztec regarding this: “Oh, Lord. Getting into guys’ personal lives? Telling guys how to run their lives, for God’s sake? Who is he to tell people when to fall in love, when to get married, when the right time is? . . . Steinly was a good player, but it wasn’t like he was going to go on to the NBA.”
Brandenburg did not deny criticizing players for getting married.
“The thing about that is, I didn’t keep them from getting married,” Brandenburg said. “If you have a college-aged player who is really dedicated to Division I basketball and basketball is going well, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that when you add a wife, there are different priorities . . . a ride to work, taking care of them when they are sick, and now basketball moves down in priority.
“That’s all I’m concerned about.”
Several players were asked if they ever approached Brandenburg individually or as a team to complain. Most said at some point they had, but that it did no good.
“I look at it as he says what he has to say to get us out of his face,” one player said. “You walk out like, ‘Damn, nothing got accomplished.’ And maybe it lasts a couple of days and then things are the same.”
Steinly said the Aztecs had several team meetings to clear things up during his time there but that they never solved problems.
“We should have had one a week,” he said. “But even when the doors were shut, including myself, nobody wanted to say too much. It’s hard.
“Sure, Brandenburg is approachable, but as far as making changes or trying new stuff, no. It’s his way or the highway.”
Steinly decided to speak up, he said, after sitting in the stands at that SDSU-UCLA game and thinking about the other fans who had purchased tickets, hot dogs and beer.
“People have a right to know what’s going on,” he said. “Boosters are spending money, people are spending money, and it’s not going to work.”
Said a current Aztec: “If I was a fan, I sure wouldn’t pay $5 a ticket and $3 for parking. That’s a waste of $8.
“I’d go to Blockbuster and In-N-Out (Burger) and have a good time.”
Tickets for SDSU games are priced at $5, $7 and $9. Parking is $4.
Players already are counting down the weeks until the end of this season because they are eager to get out.
“We have a quarter of the season to go, and it’s ridiculous,” one player said. “Every player is looking forward to the season ending.”
Said another Aztec: “Guys can’t even watch their friends on television because it hurts too much. We can’t even watch pro ball--it’s too hard to watch.
“I love this game; it’s done so much for me. But when people ask me today, ‘How’s basketball?’ I tell them:
“ ‘Well, I’m going to school for free.’ ”
Turnover
Jim Brandenburg is in his fifth season at San Diego State and, already, 18 of his recruits have left the program before their four years of eligiblity were up or failed to qualify academically for enrollment at SDSU. A list, by year recruited: 1987-88: Name: Mark Pollard Year: Freshman Position: Forward/Center In the end...: Left earlier this season, his junior year; personal reasons.
Name: Caldin Rogers Year: Junior Position: Forward In the end...: Left after one season; academic reasons.
Name: Neal Steinly Year: Freshman Position: Center In the end...: Left midway through his senior season; personal reasons.
Name: Ty Walker Year: Junior Position: Guard In the end...: Left after one season; personal reasons.
Name: Bryan Williams Year: Junior Position: Guard In the end...: Suspended final eight games of senior season for stealing.
1988-89: Name: Dana Jackson Year: Freshman Position: Forward In the end...: Left after one season; personal reasons.
Name: Neal Pollard Year: Freshman Position: Center In the end...: Left earlier this season, his sophomore season; personal reasons.
Name: Kevin Rembert Year: Freshman Position: Guard In the end...: Did not qualify academically for admission.
Name: Chris Singleton Year: Sophmore Position: Guard In the end...: Left during first season; personal reasons.
Name: Alex Sund Year: Freshman Position: Forward In the end...: Left during first season after fight with teammate Eeric White.
Name: Eeric White Year: Freshman Position: Forward In the end...: Left after two seasons; personal reasons.
1989-90: Name: Michael Hudson Year: Junior Position: Guard In the end...: Left after one season; academic reasons.
Name: Shawn Jamison Year: Junior Position: Forward In the end...: Left after one season; academic reasons.
Name: Steve McClellan Year: Junior Position: Guard In the end...: Did not qualify academically for admission.
1990-91: Name: Michael Ferguson Year: Junior Position: Forward In the end...: Did not qualify academically for admission.
Name: James Lewis Year: Junior Position: Guard In the end...: Left after one season; personal reasons.
Name: Chris McKinney Year: Freshman Position: Guard In the end...: Left after one season; personal reasons.
1991-92: Name: Darnell Cherry Year: Freshman Position: Forward In the end...: Did not qualify academically for admission.