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Wisconsin guard Ben Brust may not have had his best game Tuesday, but in scoring 16 points to lead UW to a win over his home-state Illini, the Hawthorn Woods, Ill., native inched ever closer to a prestigious career record.
Brust's 2-for-6 performance from three-point land against Illinois is just about average for him this season, as the 6'1" senior has climbed past numerous Badger greats on Wisconsin's all-time three-point ladder. His most recent trey put him at 197 career made three-pointers, good for fifth all-time. He is fourth all-time at Wisconsin in attempts, too, nipping at the heels of Jason Bohannon's legacy in both categories.
If Brust were to continue at his current pace for a conservatively estimated 10 additional games, he is projected to sink a total of 222 shots from long distance for his career, just a few made three-pointers shy of school record-holder Tim Locum.
As an aside for those not old enough to have experienced it, Locum was the magically mustachioed and mulleted Badger sharpshooter from the late 1980s who sank 227-of-481 (47.2 percent) three-pointers in an era where the shot was emphasized less than it is today. That's the second-highest percentage in NCAA Division I history behind Tony Bennett, I might add. Locum also shares the UW record for most three-pointers in a game (seven, on two occasions) with Brust. But I digress.
Brust has hit 197-of-509 (38.7 percent) from behind the arc for his career, making a single-season record 79 last season. He has also been remarkable consistent from three-point land, shooting 38.9 percent as a sophomore, 38.9 percent again as a junior and now 39.5 percent this season. Only four times in the past two seasons has Brust failed to hit a trey in a game.
With time winding down on his career, Brust is a near-lock to shoot more three-pointers than any other Badger not named Michael Finley, and has a good shot at breaking Locum's record for made three-pointers if he gets hot.
So rather than have the announcer fill you in when Brust breaks a cool record, I want you to anticipate it. Because before you know it, Brust will be gone and like me, you might just wish you had stopped to appreciate his talents a little more while he was gunning ...
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