Brett's Article

Article last updated:
Thursday, March 30, 2000 10:53 AM MST

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Elk Horn-Kimballton's Brett Watson (left) is The Daily Nonpareil's southwest Iowa prep boys basketball player of the year.

Player of the Year: Watson choice as best in SWI

MIKE CONDON
Staff Writer

ELK HORN - Brett Watson was destined to be a basketball player since the day he was born.

"One of the first pictures of Brett we have is one of him in his crib with a basketball in a little Dane sleeper," said his father and coach Warren. "He's been around basketball all his life."

And the younger Watson's life has evolved around basketball in this hotbed of prep roundball.

"All my life I watched all the great (Elk Horn-Kimballton) teams," he said. "It was something I always wanted to be a part of."

Once he made it to high school, Brett Watson did more than become a part of the programs. He became an icon.

The 6-foot-5 senior scored 2,355 career points to place fifth on Iowa's all-time charts. He averaged 32.5 points a game as the Danes earned a trip to the Class 1A state tournament.

Today, the younger Watson is honored as The Daily Nonpareil's Southwest Iowa Boys Basketball Player of the Year. The second Dane to win the honor (Josh Nelsen was selected in 1990), Watson was selected after season-long observation by The Daily Nonpareil sports staff and a vote of coaches from the five conferences (Boyer Valley, Corner, Hawkeye Ten, Rolling Hills and Western Iowa) in The Daily Nonpareil's coverage area.

Carroll Kuemper's Adam Dentlinger, Audubon's Scott Weber and Cumberland-Anita-Massena's Casey Pelzer were also considered for the award.

Watson holds 17 Elk Horn-Kimballton school records. That's quite an accomplishment considering the history of the Dane program. Not only does he own almost all the school's offensive records, he also owns the career and single-season steal marks.

In spite of his lofty numbers, Brett Watson's most enduring quality, according to his father, is his work ethic.

"He's always been willing to put in the time to work on his game," said Warren Watson. "Some people might think I've always pushed him, but I've never had to once tell him to work at basketball."

The younger Watson backs his father's version.

"I love everything about basketball," he said. "I've never thought of it as work. It's something that has always been fun."

That fun began in the third grade and has continued to this day. Brett Watson had an early role model in his basketball career. His cousin is former Ar-We-Va all-stater and Colorado State standout Lynn Tryon.

The Watson family never missed an opportunity to see an Ar-We-Va game when Tryon, a two-time All-Southwest Iowa choice in his prep days, played during the early 1990s. The family also made some trips to Colorado Springs to watch Tryon play in college.

"Brett could never get enough of watching Lynn play," said Warren Watson. "He would go out and pretend he was Lynn."

The influence of his cousin paid off for Brett. Not considered to be an outstanding natural athlete, Brett Watson crafted his game with hard work and attention to detail.

His shows that other numbers - 8.8 rebounds, 3.8 steals and 5.8 assists per game.

"I think those are some of the things that get lost in basketball today," said Warren Watson. "Brett is much more than a scorer. He understands the entire game."

Last year at this time, Brett Watson had heard from several NCAA Division I schools. Today, that attention has waned. He is still far from making a college decision.

Warren Watson believes the need for great athletes at the Division I level hurt his son.

"He played at a lot of camps last summer and he wasn't the great athlete like other players," said the elder Watson. "I think that really hurt Brett, but it hasn't bothered him. He just wants to go somewhere and play."

And just where will that be?

"I'm not sure," says Brett. "We've still got some schools to look at, but I just want to go somewhere that will let me fit in and be a part of a good program."

Brett Watson also gets plenty of support from younger sister Beth, a freshman on the EH-K girls team, and mother Nancy.

Playing for his father hasn't been a problem either.

"It was a little tough when I was a freshman and I was playing ahead of some seniors," he said, "but overall, it has been great. He is a great coach and I've learned a lot from him."

There's little doubt about his greatest memory.

"Winning that substate game over Earlham (this year) was the greatest feeling," he said. "I had always dreamed about playing on the floor at Veterans Memorial Auditorium (in Des Moines).

"Running out on that floor was even greater than I could have imagined," added the academic all-stater who plans to study business in college. "That day, even though we lost, was something I'll never forget because it is what being an Iowa high school basketball player is all about."