Brian Sullivan is such a good long-range shooter that he has already put up the best 3-PT stats in not 1 but TWO different conferences…and is not even playing in either of those conferences anymore! As a freshman at Miami (Ohio) his 45 3P% was tops in the MAC, and after transferring to Davidson he led the SoCon with 38 3P%. If he can get hot this year to lead the A-10 then we might just have to start inventing new conferences for him to dominate. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Brian about trying to make it back to the NCAA tourney and whether he will end up going into the “family business”.
You began your career at Miami (Ohio): why did you decide to transfer, and what made you choose Davidson? I really enjoyed my time at Miami, but it was not a great fit for me in a lot of respects. Davidson is about a tenth of the size, and after Miami’s coaching change I wanted a chance to play for a program where guys come back and are still involved. I could not be more pleased with my decision to come here.
You play for Coach Bob McKillop: what makes him such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you have ever learned from him? He is the best coach that I have ever had, and I think he is the best coach in America. He does not let little things get away from him because he knows they can end up becoming big things. He is very detail-oriented and really cares for us. He is like a father-figure who gives us a sense of autonomy by hearing us out and trusting us. Our code here is “TCC”: Trust/Care/Commitment.
In December of 2013 you scored a career-high 33 PTS (7-14 3PM) in 44 minutes in an OT loss at North Carolina: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot you put up seemed to go in because you were “in the zone”? That was the case to a certain extent and I was in a good rhythm, but I actually feel that I missed a few shots that I should have made. My teammates were getting me good looks and I was fortunate to knock a lot of them down, but I can still recall a couple of missed threes that I should have made.
You led the MAC with 45 3P% in 2012 and led the SoCon with 38 3P% in 2014: what is your secret for making shots from behind the arc? I have 3 keys: repetition, form, and confidence. I try to get as many reps as I can with the best form, and have a full faith and belief that my shot will go in.
Last January you scored 17 PTS including a 3-PT shot at the end of regulation en route to a 7-PT OT win at George Mason: did you think it was going in, and where does that rank among the most clutch shots of your career? The second I left my hand I knew it was right on-line, so I felt pretty good about it. It is probably my most clutch shot during college: it gave us a lot of momentum that we carried with us while Jack Gibbs was hurt.
In the 2015 NCAA tourney you scored 8 PTS in a loss to Iowa: what did you learn from that loss that you think can help you this year? It was a tremendous learning experience for a lot of our players and should help us a lot this year. We got out-played in a lot of different ways so we have used that as fuel to help us get better. We had a little taste of it last year and now we want to return and win a game: we are not satisfied with just getting to the tourney.
Your school made the switch from the SoCon to the A-10 last year: do you feel much more comfortable now that you have 1 year in the conference under your belt? There is a certain level of comfort that we did not have last year because it was all so new. Now we know our opponents and what to expect. However, this year we will be more of the hunted than the hunter, which will be more of a challenge.
Your leading scorer from last year (Tyler Kalinoski) graduated, but you return each of the other top-12 scorers on the team: how crucial will all of that experience be to your team’s success this year? We have a great thing going for us. We play a pretty detailed system: the more you play in it, the more it becomes 2nd-nature. We get more confident each time we step on the court and are bringing in some talented freshmen as well.
Your brother Kevin is an assistant basketball coach at Kenyon and your brother Chris is an assistant basketball coach at Dennison: do you guys ever talk about anything other than basketball, and do you think that you will follow their footsteps and eventually end up on the sideline? We occasionally talk about stuff outside of basketball, but they are a great resource for me. You can imagine that they have a lot of questions for me because I play for Coach McKillop: sometimes it feels as if I am the 1 teaching them instead of vice-versa! I credit them for my love of basketball, and it has strengthened our relationship incredibly. I have a hard time seeing myself away from the game: the plan is to keep playing after I graduate.
What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? We have pretty high expectations inside the locker room. We do not feel the pressure of outside expectations but we are excited about our roster and the opportunities ahead of us.
Brian Sullivan is a pure winner who has lead all his teams to great seasons
thanks!