WATER POLO / NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS : Braxton-Brown Trying to Bring UCLA All the Way This Year

Given Jeremy Braxton-Brown’s previous experiences in postseason water polo, you might think he would dread this time of year.

Braxton-Brown’s final two seasons at Capistrano Valley High ended with him fouled out, watching from the pool deck as the Cougars lost in the playoffs--in 1991 in the Southern Section final to San Clemente, in 1992 in the second round to Corona del Mar.

Then last season at UCLA, Braxton-Brown was part of a Bruin team that lost to Stanford, 9-5, in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament. UCLA, making its first NCAA appearance since 1991, also lost the third-place game to California, 8-5.

But history doesn’t faze Braxton-Brown, who today leads the Bruins against UC San Diego in an NCAA semifinal at Stanford. High school disappointments are far from his mind and last year, he said, the Bruins did far better than most expected.

“Our saying about last year is we were the happiest fourth-place team ever,” Braxton-Brown said. “This year we set out from the beginning to make the tournament and win the NCAA title.”

The Bruins’ goal is definitely within reach, especially because the NCAA tournament has been reduced from eight teams to four this season. UC San Diego (15-13) and Massachusetts (28-5) received bids for winning the Western Water Polo Assn. and Eastern Water Polo Assn. championships, but they don’t play at the same level as the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation teams. San Diego is eighth and Massachusetts is 13th in the latest national poll. MPSF teams are ranked Nos. 1 through 7.

But only two of the top teams survived the MPSF. Cal (19-6) beat UCLA (18-6), 9-6, in the title game of the conference tournament and they are expected to play for the national title Sunday.

Braxton-Brown, a 6-foot-4, 205-pound two-meter man, played a big part in putting UCLA in this position. He is the Bruins’ leading scorer with 34 points and their primary two-meter defender.

Braxton-Brown, blessed with size and quickness, was one of the most recruited high school players in the nation. He played sparingly as a freshman and last year began to live up to his potential. However, UCLA Coach Guy Baker said, Braxton-Brown was inconsistent, a trait that pervaded the team. “We said the team went as well as Jeremy went,” Baker said.

Braxton-Brown has more help this season--six players have scored more than 20 points--and he has reduced his lapses. “I think he has really worked hard to overcome that,” Baker said. “He’s had some off quarters this season, but he hasn’t had any off games.”

Braxton-Brown said he has improved by maintaining focus during games. “I think my problem has been just being too lackadaisical at times, just out there playing,” he said. “You have to concentrate on what you’re doing every minute or you’ll get burned.”

More often than not this season, it’s Braxton-Brown who has been doing the burning.

In September, he beat USC, top-ranked for most of the season, with a last-minute scoop shot from the hole. Then, against the Trojans in the semifinals of the MPSF tournament, he scored his only two-point goal of the season to give the Bruins a 9-4 lead late in the fourth quarter. UCLA went on to win 9-7 and basically lock up an NCAA berth.

Now, Braxton-Brown and the Bruins are angling for a rematch with Cal. If they win it would be UCLA’s first national water polo title since 1972, two years before Braxton-Brown was born.

“It’s been a personal goal for me to win something,” he said. “I couldn’t get it done in high school but an NCAA championship is so much bigger than any CIF title.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

The Source

Orange County is well represented at the NCAA water polo tournament, taking place today and Sunday at Stanford. The following is a list of those who played high school water polo in the county:

CALIFORNIA

*--*

Name Yr. High School Notable Phinney Gardner Fr. San Clemente Has 27 points Nick Kittredge Sr. Capistrano Valley 2nd leading scorer, 49 points Riki Krumins Jr. Newport Harbor Has 14 points Jeff Moloughney So. Capistrano Valley Out for season because of injured shoulder

*--*

UCLA

*--*

Name Yr. High School Notable Jeremy Braxton-Brown Jr. Capistrano Valley Leading scorer, 34 points Randy Wright Jr. Los Alamitos Leading two-point scorer Jake Yokota Fr. Capistrano Valley Reserve driver, has 5 goals

*--*

UC SAN DIEGO

*--*

Name Yr. High School Notable Adam Bollenbach So. Estancia Has 23 points

*--*

MASSACHUSETTS

*--*

Name Yr. High School Marc Staudenbaur So. San Clemente

Name Notable Marc Staudenbaur Leads team in quarters played, 46 points

*--*