Prospect Watch: Aaron Brandt (2018)
Class of 2018 forward Aaron Brandt of Chamois concluded a stellar career in grand style by leading his team to a historic Final Four run.
The 6’6″ Brandt led the Pirates to the Final Four of the Class 1 state tournament for the first time in the school’s history. After leading Chamois to three consecutive district championships, Brandt finally broke through and got his team to Springfield two weeks ago for a fourth place finish.
“I have dreamt about making it to the Final Four ever since my coach pulled me into his office when I was in eighth grade,” Brandt said. “He said he thought I could be special, and by my junior or senior year, we could make it to the Final Four. So, it meant more to me than just winning basketball games. It made me feel like I was fulfilling my coach’s dreams as well.”
Despite losing both games in the Final Four to eventual state champion Eminence and North Andrew, Brandt left his mark with a tremendous performance in the third-place game against North Andrew. In his last high school game, Brandt scored 39 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a dominant performance.
“Scoring 39 points wasn’t my goal, obviously it was to win,” he said. “But in the first Final Four game, I felt like I was holding back. I was much less aggressive than I usually was. So, I came out in my last game with something to prove.”
Brandt’s performance in his final game was just an example of how performed throughout his four years at Chamois, where he finished his career with more than 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds, which are both school records. A lot of his collegiate interest has come from schools in his area such as Westminster, Williams Woods and Columbia College. Playing for a small Class 1 school has been a big motivator for his work ethic and success.
“I am from a smaller school, so a lot of bigger colleges probably didn’t look at me as a legit player,” Brandt said. “I feel like now I have shown what I can do against the best teams in the state, people will take me a little more seriously.”
(Aaron Brandt photo courtesy of Missouri Roundball Preview)