When junior forward Kimberly Brandon was asked about the physicality of ASU’s 75-43 victory over UA on Jan. 16, she broke into a smile.
“It was good,” she said.
This season Brandon is second in scoring for ASU and already has four double-doubles, which is four more than her total from last season. She is 11th in the Pac-10 and leads the team in rebounding, and part of that success is an intensity and drive that has defined her season so far.
“I know I always say this, but I just go hard at everything I do,” Brandon said. “Right now I’m trying not to take any positions off, on either offense or defense … I’m just being aggressive and staying poised.”
ASU coach Charli Turner Thorne highlighted Brandon’s work ethic as a key factor after the win against UA.
“Kimberly Brandon has about as high a motor as anybody you’re going to have to play against,” Turner Thorne said. ‘She’s a tough matchup.”
The second part of Brandon’s emergence this season is her transition from small forward and perimeter player to power forward, which is the position she’s played most of her life and her true position, Turner Thorne said.
“This year, with loading up at the guard spot, we knew we wanted to work her both, and we started her at the three because a lot of those other guards weren’t ready,” Turner Thorne said. “As they developed and we kind of looked at what we had, we swung her over, and we maybe look stupid for not doing it sooner, but she’s doing really well.”
The 6-foot-2-inch Brandon has the size and athleticism to be a successful player down low. She also said that the position just feels a little more natural to her, but her advantage comes with her speed.
“It’s really a mismatch down there, because I’m quick, quicker than the other post players,” Brandon said. “I just try to use my skills to my advantage, and just try to take them off the dribble, and try to step out and shoot. They don’t really like to come out of the paint sometimes, and I really try to take that advantage.”
The California native was the No. 27 ranked forward when she came to ASU in fall 2008, and immediately saw time on the court, playing in 30 games her freshman season.
The Sun Devils made a run to the Elite Eight, but Brandon wasn’t too much of a factor, only playing two minutes in their loss to UConn.
During her sophomore year, Brandon saw her minutes increase, and averaged four points and 3.3 rebounds a game.
But injuries took their toll on ASU last season, and that in turn hurt the team’s overall mentality, Brandon said.
This season the team has really come a long way and is much closer than last year, she said, even in the face of adversity.
“At the Stanford game we were positive and we stayed together, and we didn’t turn on each other,” Brandon said. “As opposed to last year, sometimes we did.”
The team’s chemistry this year is the final reason for her breakout season, Brandon said, and being able to contribute to such a close-knit team just adds another level to her play.
“In the summer, two of our goals were to play hard and to care about each other, and I think we’re really doing that right now,” Brandon said. “No matter how the game is going, we’re just sticking together, cheering each other on, picking each other up.”
But perhaps what sets Brandon apart the most is the fact that she knows she has room to get better.
“I have a lot to improve on,” Brandon said. “I can’t wait.”
Reach the reporter at egrasser@asu.edu
