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We are still about 3 weeks away from the tip-off of a new college basketball season, which means that we have plenty of time to start preparing for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with Iowa State SO F Addy Brown, who talked about her great freshman year and her expectations for this season.
In the 2023 McDonald’s All-American Game you scored 5 PTS for the West in a 7-PT win over the East: which of your fellow honorees impressed you the most (Madison Booker/Hannah Hidalgo/JuJu Watkins/other)? I think Hannah impressed me quite a bit, as did MiLaysia Fulwiley: when she gets hot she cannot miss.
You were born/raised in Kansas and received scholarship offers from several great schools including Kansas State/TCU/Texas Tech: what made you choose Iowa State? I knew that I wanted to stay closer to home, at least in terms of driving distance. When I took my visit here, I saw that the culture/fan support was unmatched (for both the men/women). The coaching staff has been here 20+ years, so I felt comfortable knowing that they were not going anywhere.
You play for Coach Bill Fennelly: what makes him such a good coach, and what is the most important thing that you have learned from him so far? He finds a way to keep us motivated, be it personal messages or meeting with us in person. He has had versatile players like me thrive in his offense, so he knows how to get the best out of his players.
As a freshman you were the only player on your team to start all 33 games: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? I had to take myself out of the freshman mindset and just view myself as a college basketball player from day #1. Coach made it clear that I had to be ready to go for the team to succeed: there was no other option.
Last year you finished 2nd on the team in PPG and led the Cyclones in RPG/APG/MPG: how were you able to balance all the different aspects of your game? I just take it 1 game at a time and never look too far ahead. Some teams get so fixated on 1 specific matchup during the year but all we are worried about is our next opponent: I look at film and try to develop my skills.
You finished the season by being named All-Big 12 honorable mention: what did it mean to you to receive such an outstanding honor? It was very special. I started the year with no expectations, so it was cool to see that I could do that in a conference full of great players.
In the 2024 NCAA tourney you scored 5 PTS in a win over Maryland and scored 18 PTS in a loss to Stanford: what did you learn from your postseason run that you think will help you this season? I was a bit nervous against Maryland because it was my 1st March Madness game, but now I have the experience to know that it is not the end of the world if I make a turnover/miss a shot.
The Big 12 had several additions/subtractions this year: any thoughts on conference realignment? It is interesting to have a lot of new teams this year. We do not know a lot about their style of play yet, so we must be ready for that. However, I am not a huge fan of not being able to play everyone twice: now we will be traveling further and not playing as many games close to home.
Your parents Mike and Danika played college basketball, and your sister Kennedy played basketball at Duke/Oregon State: who is the best athlete in the family? I will have to say myself…because all of them would say themselves if you asked them!
What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? I really want to win the conference: I think we can do that with the talent that is coming in. I want to get better at anything and everything and am looking forward to having another good year.