Prospect Spotlight: Andre Brandon (2020)
This season, Iowa City Liberty will be bumped up to Class 4A, and Andre Brandon will be the guy leading the charge for what will be an ultra-challenging MVC schedule.
Last season as a sophomore, Brandon was very good for the Lightning in their inaugural season. He averaged 14.1 points on 54 percent shooting, and led his team in steals, blocks and rebounds.
“My strengths as a player are using my height to go up and grab rebounds, and my length to deflect balls in the passing lanes and deny people around the rim,” said Brandon, a 6-foot-5 forward. “On the offensive end of the floor, I can score well in the paint, but I’m also confident in my shot and not afraid to step outside the 3-point line.”
He added: “I impact the game through my paint defense, providing a solid rim protector. I can space the floor on offense or get big in the paint, giving the defense a lot of trouble.”
Despite having a great season individually last season, Brandon and his Lightning finished the season with just an 8-14 record. That was against 3A competition.
Things will get much tougher at the 4A level this season. But Brandon and Co have been working hard, and are up for the challenge.
“My sophomore season at Liberty was good, but I saw room for improvement. I would have liked to see myself get more rebounds and points, but next year will be different,” Brandon said.
“Team chemistry will come together, and the whole team has been training hard this offseason. However, next season will be a challenge. We are going against MVC-caliber talent. But I’m ready and excited to prove that Liberty basketball is up to the challenge.”
Brandon has spent his spring and summer playing with Liberty in team camps and with Iowa Dynasty 16U. He’ll head into his junior season better than he’s ever been.
“I’ve been playing AAU and high school basketball. It’s given me the opportunity to improve my shooting, and playing the AAU circuit has improved my hustle and made me a physical athlete,” said Brandon.
Over the next 12 months, look for the big and physical forward’s recruitment to start to take shape. Right now, he’s received camp invites from Wayne State, Nebraska-Wesleyan, and Simpson.
His main focus, though, is simply improving as a player.
“In the next 12 months, my goals are to become a better playmaker; seeing plays before they happen not as they happen, improve my ball handling, and make the right pass,” said Brandon. “I want to increase my speed on offense and defense, play physical and improve on rebounding.”
Andre Brandon is ranked by Prep Hoops as a top 75 prospect in his class. To see the full ranking of Iowa’s 2020 class, click here.