One of things that made new Morton College men’s basketball coach Brandon Watkins such an attractive candidate is his insider’s knowledge of what it takes to reach and succeed at the next level and beyond. He’s able to provide that perspective from both a player’s and coach’s point-of-view.
Watkins was a four-year letterman at Penn State from 1999 to 2003, where he was captain and all-Big Ten Honorable Mention as a senior. Watkins also was part of the Nittany Lions’ Sweet 16 run in 2001 and team leader in assists his last two years. His style of play attracted a following as a 2012 article in The Sports Fan Journal listed Watkins in a piece on the “Five of the Most Entertaining Big Ten Ballers Ever (No Fab Five).”
He also played a decade in Europe and currently works as a personal trainer whose clientele includes a number of NBA players.
Watkins also had a first-hand view on how to transform a program by spending two seasons as a graduate assistant at Northern Illinois University under Mark Montgomery, who has taken the Huskies from a five-win season in 2012-13 to a 21-win campaign and Vegas 16 quarterfinal berth three years later.
Locally, Watkins was a standout on St. Joseph’s 1999 Class AA state championship team. He was the tournament’s leading scorer and earned the nickname of the “Fourth-Quarter Kid” from the Chicago Tribune’s Bob Sakamoto.
So Brandon, what’s the secret to the Magic Kingdom?
“We’re going to do things the correct way,” said Watkins, who has a bachelor’s degree in communications from Penn State and a master’s in adult and higher education from Northern Illinois. “Academics comes first. If you’re not eligible, you won’t be able to play for me. You’re a student-athlete, not just an athlete. I want to do my part as a coach and a mentor to help prepare our student-athletes for a four-year school and life beyond.”
Team chemistry plays an important part in breeding success. Watkins always points back to the ’99 Chargers, the most unlikely group to produce longtime coach Gene Pingatore’s first state championship.
“We might not have the most talented team, but we had great chemistry,” recalled Watkins, who was named the Chicago Tribune’s Athlete of the Month in March of 1999. “We held each other accountable. We were the best of friends, on and off the court.”
Watkins, a 6-0 guard, did his part. He scored 20 fourth-quarter points in leading the Chargers to a come-from-behind quarterfinal win over an East St. Louis team with future NBA player Darius Miles. Another big fourth-quarter showing helped the Chargers take down King in the semifinals.
Even 17 years ago, Pingatore was able to project Watkins in a position of leadership.
“During crucial moments at the end of games, Brandon would be rallying the troops,” Pingatore said in a Tribune article in 1999. “He was a vocal leader, telling his teammates to keep their heads up, pick up the defensive intensity and wait for good shots.
“Normally a coach would be doing that. But when you have a kid like Brandon, you just let him lead the way. He has a mental toughness and a leadership quality that was even more important than his physical skills.”
Morton College’s program definitely will have a Pingatore flavor. No player goes through St. Joseph’s program without being impacted by Pingatore, who should become the first boys basketball coach in Illinois prep history to win 1,000 games this season.
Watkins is no exception. Close your eyes to Watkins’ next quote and you’ll think it’s Pingatore’s raspy voice, especially when it comes to their shared dislike of turnovers.
“We’ll emphasize clock management – knowing the situation and score,” Watkins said. “Shot selection is important – knowing the difference between a great shot and a good shot. We’ll try to minimize mistakes. I’m adamant about not making turnovers. You can’t have 20 turnovers in a game and expect to win. The team that protects the ball will win the game nine times out of 10.”
Watkins also will add some parts picked up from Montgomery and his staff into his coaching philosophy.
“They let me do a lot of different things,” Watkins said.
Watkins doesn’t want to strip his players of their creativity, but they will need to stay within the realm of the offense.
“I will recruit the type of young man who fits our system,” Watkins said. “If a young man isn’t a fit to our system, it’s no good for him or the coaches. If someone who is less talented does what I ask, they will help us. And when we win, he’ll continue to get the accolades.”
Watkins is the first major hire for Morton College athletic director Billy Jacklin.
“Brandon comes from a winning pedigree,” Jacklin said. “He has tremendous leadership qualities. He’s played and coached at the highest levels. He’s hungry and he’ll be a tremendous asset for all of our student-athletes.
“He realizes the program has a winning tradition. Brandon wants to continue and grow it.”
