The Sports Xchange

OVERVIEW

Called by Hillsborough Community College head coach Derrick Worrels, "the most talented kid in the state of Florida -- at any level -- other than the Magic and Heat," Keith Brumbaugh is hoping that his outstanding season will erase some of the memories pro scouts have of him off the court. Hillsborough CC was the third school Brumbaugh attended, as he was forced to leave the first two universities due to serious problems away from the court.

Brumbaugh's basketball career almost ended before it had a chance to begin. He was reportedly arrested six times in the past 30 months, he has no convictions but many are convinced HCC was his last shot at reclaiming a once sparkling career in basketball.

In a recent interview, Brumbaugh admitted he has made mistakes. He has paid for it, spending several weeks in jail. But those close to him -- including former coaches and teammates -- believe he has gone from being Florida's 2005 Mr. Basketball to Mr. Misunderstood. They detail a confident -- not cocky -- person with a big heart; a tireless worker and selfless teammate. He's also mentioned as intelligent but intense and a devoted father to an infant daughter.

At DeLand High School, Brumbaugh was regarded as one of the premier power forwards in the prep ranks. DeLand coach John Zeoli credits Brumbaugh with putting "our program on the map." He was a Scout.com and Parade All-American selection as a senior, adding All-State honors while receiving Florida's 2005 Mr. Basketball Award. He was rated 14th on the Rivals.com National Top 150 list, where he was rated the fifth-best power forward in the country.

Rivals.com also rated Brumbaugh the best prospect in the state of Florida. InsideHoops rated him the second-best forward in the nation and eighth overall among prep seniors. Even though he never reached the state Final Four, Brumbaugh set school records for single-season and career points.

As a junior, he averaged 25.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, two assists and three blocks per game. In his final season, he set a school record by averaging 30.3 points per game, shooting over 41 percent from 3-point range. He also averaged four steals, 2.5 blocks, 4.9 assists, 3.6 steals and 12.0 rebounds per game.

Brumbaugh participated in the 2004 USA Men's Youth Development Festival, and averaged 16.2 points and 8.4 rebounds in five starts. He scored 20 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, dished out six assists and had no turnovers in 33 minutes of play in the Gold Medal game. His USA South squad defeated the USA North, 140-123.

He also played in the Michael Jordan all-star game in Madison Square Garden in April, 2005. One month later, he announced that he would bypass college and applied for the 2005 NBA Draft. On June 20, he withdrew his name from consideration for the draft. On the same day he pulled out of the draft, he announced that he would instead enroll at Oklahoma State.

His Cowboys' career was cut short before he ever took the court. On Aug. 20, 2005, Brumbaugh was arrested in Stillwater for shoplifting at a local Wal-Mart. He received a citation for the incident at a local retail store. He was not taken into custody by Stillwater police.

In November 2005, the NCAA required Brumbaugh to retake the ACT test, claiming he did not score high enough to be eligible to play. DeLand High coach John Zeoli and Brumbaugh maintain he scored a 24 on the test (36 is perfect) his junior year. He scored a 20 when retested, leading to him withdrawing from Oklahoma State one month later without ever stepping on the court.

On May 20, 2006, one year to the day that he had first announced that he was entering the 2005 NBA Draft, Brumbaugh was arrested for fleeing and eluding the police, a felony, and resisting arrest without violence, which was a misdemeanor. In the car Brumbaugh had been driving, police discovered a Bushmaster brand automatic rifle with about 56 rounds in the magazine, according to the sheriff's report.

Volusia County deputies said they also found an electric weapon, a knife and several hundred rounds of ammunition. Also in the car was a black shirt with the word "Police" on it, as well as a silver badge sporting the words: "Private Investigator." Also with him was a Justin Brown -- a former DeLand High football star and convicted felon on probation at the time.

Police had originally intended to pull him over for expired license tags, but a shirtless Brumbaugh fled the car into nearby neighborhoods. Authorities couldn't prove the gun was Brumbaugh's, but he pleaded no contest to fleeing and eluding and received 12 months probation before returning to Chipola Junior College, where he had enrolled that spring.

Brumbaugh was kicked off the Chipola College 2006-07 team without playing in a game. He said he felt like "cutting my leg off" when thinking that his basketball career was slipping away for good. His lanky frame would sit on the not-so-cozy prison-ordered bed.

Shortly after his arrests, his daughter, Delilah was born in December. Brumbaugh told his high school sweetheart, Shekya Grady, "I have to make it for all of us; it's not just me anymore." Grady told the St. Petersburg Times, "Keith grew up really fast. She (his daughter) made him grow up."

Given one last chance to revive his basketball career, Brumbaugh enrolled at Hillsborough Community College for the 2007-08 season. He had some minor injury problems that sidelined him for several games, but in 25 games, he scored 876 points, leading the junior college ranks with a 35.04-point average.

Brumbaugh set school records for points scored and field goals made (301-of-688), shooting 43.8 percent from the field. He made 32.8 percent of his 3-point attempts and 84.6 percent of his free throws. He was named NJCAA All-American and All-Region IX first-team. He also averaged 8.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 4.0 steals.

ANALYSIS

Positives: Lean athlete with an impressive reach and has room on his frame to carry at least another 15 pounds with no loss in quickness ... Athletic left-handed shooter who is a very efficient ball-handler for a player his size ... Has that explosive first step needed to separate and drive to the rim, showing very good elevation and hang time going vertical to the basket ... Even though he played just one season of college ball, he displays very good court vision and intelligence, as he is not prone to taking foolish shots or passing the ball into a crowd ... Also uses his on-court intelligence to exploit mismatches ... Uses his quickness to consistently finish in transition ... Has great ability to get to the hoop and combination with a smooth shooting stroke ... While he attacks the basket relentlessly, he is also capable of drawing the defense to set up teammates ... Despite his size, his ball-handling skills are good enough to play the point in an emergency, as he rarely commits turnovers or makes mistakes with the ball ... Has great confidence in his jump shot and likes to park along the perimeter, where he has legitimate 3-point range ... Uses his body well to convert in traffic, thanks to his impressive length ... Scans the court well to find an open teammate, especially with entry passes ... His left-handed shooting style is hard for opponents to defend (the game seems to be more right-handed dominant, making him a rarity) ... Knows how to drive to the basket and draw contact to get to the foul line, where he has loose elbows, solid mechanics and a quick release to excel on free-throw tries (made 84.6 percent of his attempts last year) ... Solid slasher who does a very good job of getting the ball into the hoop by sailing over the taller defenders ... Also shows very impressive passing ability and court vision on his drives to the hoop ... Has a knack for finding the open man ... Effective with his ability to post up and excels backing down smaller defenders ... If help approaches, he has the vision to locate the open man and deliver the ball ... When backing down his man, he has the ability to turn and elevate for a turnaround jumper ... One of his best assets is his ability to create off the dribble ... Has a smooth and patient manner for breaking down defenses, using a quick first step, along with getting a shoulder past his defender ... Can slash all the way to the basket or find his teammates along the way ... At the rim, he finishes creatively, as he is alert to where the shot blockers are and will hang in the air, switch hands, or reverse angles to get a shot off ... .Rare to see him force the issue with his slashing moves, as he has great patience, along with the vision to see when the help defense is closing in on him ... Aggressive rebounder who has the reach and elevation, along with good power (despite a lanky frame) to go up and over the opponent to crash the boards.

Negatives: Will need to bulk up to play the "3" spot at the next level ... Has had several off-court issues that bring up some major red flags for teams concerned about character issues ... Concerns also arise about the level of competition he faced at junior college ... Older than most early entry players in this draft ... Has explosive moves, but his upper-body strength is not NBA caliber to prevent defenders from boxing him out and he also gets banged around on the way to the basket, thanks to a lanky frame ... When he gets bounced out of the paint, he will back away from contact and park along the perimeter, but even though he has the range he easily loses patience and forces jumpers ... Can score off the dribble, but is more explosive when elevating to the rim than when taking the shot off the bounce ... When he tries to keep the game up-tempo, he will get a bit reckless on the fast break pushing the ball forward ... Because he is so involved in the offense, he appears to look uncomfortable operating without the ball in his hands ... Even though he can score in bunches, his unselfishness is sometimes a hindrance, as he is too willing to let others create their shot rather than drive into the lanes himself ... On defense, he needs to move his feet better when trying to steal the ball (will usually just try and reach around, but will get charged with fouls, as he struggles to avoid contact).

Compares To: RICHARD JEFFERSON-New Jersey ... Brumbaugh is a few inches taller than Jefferson, but both are solid perimeter shooters with checkered pasts off the court. Brumbaugh has just one year of college experience, as arrests and other issues forced him out of two other colleges before settling in at Hillsborough. He is definitely a scoring weapon who could bring instant value as the first man off the bench, where he can fill in at the two- or three-spot. Still, with six arrests in 30 months, teams are sure to be scared of taking him where his talent dictates.

CAREER NOTES

Brumbaugh became the first player in school history to lead the nation in scoring in 2007-08 ... His 35.04-point average and 301 field goals made set school and Panhandle Conference season-records.

2007-08 SEASON

All-American first-team selection by The NBA Draft Report and the National Junior College Athletic Association ... All-Region IX and All-Panhandle Conference first-team choice ... Also named All-Florida Junior College Athletic Association first-team ... Played in 25 games, seeing action at shooting guard and small forward ... Led the nation with a 35.04-point average, making 301-of-688 field goals (43.8 percent), 187-of-221 free throws (84.6 percent) and 87-of-265 3-pointers (32.8 percent) ... Grabbed 204 rebounds (8.2 per game) with 144 assists (5.8 per game) and 101 steals (4.0 per game) ... Scored at least 30 points in 17 games, including 11 contests with at least 40 points and four for more than 50 points.

2007-08 GAME ANALYSIS

Brumbaugh made his collegiate debut in explosive fashion, pouring in 52 points on 20-of-29 shooting, adding 18 rebounds, seven steals and six assists vs. North Florida CC ... Had 12 bourds, 24 points, six assists and four steals vs. Grand Rapids CC ... Followed with 42 points, making 14-of-25 field goals while grabbing a season-high 14 rebounds to go with six assists and four steals vs. Kellogg CC ... Totaled another 42 points, 11 boards, eight assists and seven steals in the Central Florida CC clash ... Scored 44 points on 15-of-39 shooting, pulling down 14 boards while registering seven steals vs. Seminole CC ... Posted 48 points, making 18-of-20 shots from the foul line, as he grabbed nine rebounds and had seven assists with six steals vs. IMG ... Made 15-of-30 field goals, including seven three-pointers, as he tallied 51 points, 12 rebounds, nine assists and three steals vs. Palm Beach CC ... Successful on 18-of-33 field goals with eight 3-pointers and nine steals in the Daytona Beach clash ... Totaled 41 points, making 16-of-19 shots from the foul line, as he snared eight rebounds and had four steals vs. St. Clair County ... Collected 32 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four steals vs. Pasco-Hernando CC ... Added 38 points, including 11-of-13 free throws vs. Polk CC ... Facing IMG a second time, Brumbaugh registered 40 points on 15-of-23 shooting, as he also had eight boards, five assists and seven steals vs. Manatee CC ... Pumped in 39 points with 10 assists, three steals and seven rebounds in the second meeting vs. Pasco-Hernando CC ... Had 40 points and nine rebounds in the second encounter with Polk CC ... Hit on 20-of-38 field goals, including seven treys, as he added four steals and five boards vs. St. Petersburg ... In another match-up vs. Pasco-Hernando, Brumbaugh scored 30 points while doling out three assists with five steals.

2006-07 SEASON

Attended Chipola (Marianna, Fla.) Community College, but was dismissed from the basketball team due to off-court issues.

2005-06 SEASON

Attended Oklahoma State, but never suited up ... Was arrested for shoplifting and later ruled ineligible by the NCAA for a questionable ACT score.

INJURY REPORT

No injury report available at press time, but did sit out the Daytona Beach (11/24/07), Seminole CC (11/29), St. Petersburg (1/05/08) and Manatee CC (2/25/08) contests.

NOTABLE OFF-COURT ISSUES

Aug. 20, 2005: Charged with shoplifting at a Stillwater, Oklahoma, Wal-Mart. November 2005: The NCAA required Brumbaugh to retake the ACT; he does not get a high enough score to be eligible. December 2005: Withdraws from Oklahoma State without ever wearing a uniform. May 20, 2006: Charged by Volusia County Sheriffs Office with fleeing and eluding officers and resisting arrest without violence. November 2006: Kicked out of Chipola College after being charged with marijuana possession.

HIGH SCHOOL

Attended DeLand (Fla.) High School, playing basketball for head coach John Zeoli ... Was regarded as one of the premier power forwards in the prep ranks ... .Scout.com and Parade All-American selection as a senior, adding All-State honors while receiving Florida's 2005 Mr. Basketball Award ... Rated 14th on the Rivals.com National Top 150 list, where he was rated the fifth-best power forward in the country ... Rivals.com also rated Brumbaugh the best prospect in the state of Florida ... InsideHoops rated him the second-best forward in the nation and eighth overall among prep seniors ... Even though he never reached the state Final Four, Brumbaugh set school records for single-season and career points ... As a junior, he averaged 25.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, two assists and three blocks per game ... In his final season, he set a school record by averaging 30.3 points per game, shooting over 41 percent from 3-point range. He also averaged four steals, 2.5 blocks, 4.9 assists, 3.6 steals and 12.0 rebounds per game.

USA BASKETBALL

Brumbaugh participated in the 2004 USA Men's Youth Development Festival, and averaged 16.2 points and 8.4 rebounds in five starts ... Scored 20 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, dished out six assists and had no turnovers in 33 minutes of play in the Gold Medal game ... His USA South squad defeated the USA North, 140-123 ... Played in the Michael Jordan all-star game in Madison Square Garden in April, 2005.

PERSONAL

General Studies major ... Has an infant daughter, Delilah ... Born 9/29/85 ... Resides in DeLand, Florida.