Brickman’s emergence key in late comeback Three years ago, Jordan Brickman was recruited by Billy Lange to play basketball at Navy. The guard came to Annapolis from San Antonio but was a student and basketball spectator for two seasons. It wasn’t until Ed DeChellis took over this fall that Brickman joined the team.
In the second start of his college career Tuesday night at Alumni Hall, Brickman sparked Navy’s second-half rally that fell just short in a 57-55 loss to undefeated Tulane.
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With Navy (2-3) down 49-42 midway through the second half, Brickman (14 points) hit a 3-pointer, followed with a baseline jumper, then assisted on a 3-pointer by freshman Donya Jackson. When sophomore J.J. Avila (13 points, six rebounds) added a free throw, it completed a 9-0 run that gave Navy a 51-49 lead.
But Tulane (4-0) resumed control as former N.C. State player Josh Davis (14 points) scored the go-ahead layup with 1:58 left. It was a winnable game for the Midshipmen, who failed to score after senior Jordan Sugars’ basket with 4:20 left gave Navy a 55-53 lead.
Brickman’s emergence has been a pleasant surprise for the Mids. His brother, Jason, is a sophomore point guard for a Long Island University team that made the NCAA tournament last year.
The Brickman brothers played together at Clark High. Jordan intended to play at Navy as a freshman but struggled with the rigors of academy life and left the team after a brief trial in October. In his sophomore year, Brickman played for the junior varsity but soon gave it up.
Last year it was difficult watching his brother thrive at LIU, but Brickman remained committed to the academy.
“A big part of it was my mom. She was really pushing me to stay,” Brickman said. “I was telling her I really wanted to transfer out. I figured it was my mom and she knows what’s best for me.”
Brickman hit four of five shots on Tuesday night, including a pair of 3-pointers.
