For Bobby Brackett, the unimaginable was happening: basketball wasn’t fun anymore.
That was the point the Lawrence High School graduate hit during his freshman year at Bloomfield College, a Division II program in northern New Jersey.
Disillusioned with the academics and disenchanted with the head coach, Brackett was at the low point of an otherwise sparkling career.
“I was down most of the season,” he said. “I wasn’t a happy guy.”
The good news is, that didn’t last long.
Brackett transferred to The College of New Jersey last spring, and promptly made himself one of the top players in the New Jersey Athletic Conference as a sophomore.
The 6-foot-6 forward led the NJAC in minutes played, with 36 per game, and they were productive minutes indeed. Brackett averaged 16.4 points and 13.1 rebounds, which earned him first-team All-NJAC honors.
In NCAA Division III statistics, he finished second nationally in total rebounds with 327 and third in double-doubles with 17. His rebound total also broke a 49-year-old school record, surpassing the mark of 323 set by Paul Brateris in 1966-67. Brackett needed nine to break it going into the season finale and grabbed 12.
With two years remaining, Brackett is considered a foundation to construct upon by coach Kelly Williams.
“Without question he brought a particular edge that we needed,” Williams said. “I didn’t know about his work ethic or his commitment. Sometimes when you get transfers you don’t know where they are mentally, but it was nice to see him come in and step right into a leadership role on the court.
“It gives us encouragement because it’s something to build on. I’m glad to have him the next couple of years.”
Basically, Williams can use Brackett as a recruiting chip for his next few TCNJ classes.
“I love that,” Brackett said. “I just want more athletic talent here. Whatever he can do to get a better team here, if using me for that is part of it, I’m with it.
“I just want to win these last two years for me, for Kelly and for the program. TCNJ basketball hasn’t been the same since that Greg Grant team (national finalists in 1989). I’m hoping that will change.”
This year was another tough one for the Lions, who finished 8-17 overall and 6-12 in the NJAC. But Brackett more than did his part.
“Sometimes I have to continue to make sure that I take a step back and recognize how special he is,” Williams said. “At this early stage he has so much more to learn about the game offensively, defensively.
“But it almost got to a point where when Bobby was getting a double-double it was secondary. You weren’t thinking about it but the rebounds and points were piling up. We were still pushing him and I know there were probably days where he was thinking ‘Coach, I can’t do any more.’”
Brackett was confident enough heading into the season, that his goal was to average a double-double.
“I surpassed that a little bit,” he said. “I was pleasantly surprised with how I did but I know I can still do a lot better.”
It was amazing what a change of scenery did for the forward. Coming out of Lawrence in 2012, Brackett had plenty of interest from Division III schools, but he was seduced by the thought of getting a scholarship at Division II Bloomfield. He also wanted to stay near home.
“I’m a mama’s boy, I love being here so my parents can see me play,” he said. “There aren’t a lot of Division II teams in New Jersey. The scholarship was great. It was great going to school for free.”
There were drawbacks, however, and Brackett quickly discovered them.
“It was a combination of a few things,” he said. “Academically it wasn’t the best. I kind of had my priorities coming out of high school, thinking a free scholarship to play basketball is great. I didn’t take in the school’s reputation, getting a job after college.”
Bloomfield is also a small school, hovering around 500 students, which Brackett said was not for him.
And the basketball, from Brackett’s vantage point, wasn’t much better.
“Going in there I was expecting to play a good amount, and boom,” he said. “Just like that in one day you can just lose it all. Me and coach didn’t see eye to eye, I lost all confidence. I’m thinking, ‘I don’t even like basketball anymore.’ But I love basketball, I had to go somewhere to play. A scholarship is great for now, but if it’s not gonna get me a good education and I’m not making any money when I’m 30 or 40 it doesn’t really matter. I said, ‘You know what I’m a decent basketball player, this just isn’t the right fit.”
Enter Williams, whose former player Jeff Molinelli is the head coach at Lawrence High. Molinelli did not coach Brackett in high school (he was at Hopewell at the time) but was still close with him.
Molinelli informed Williams that Brackett might be transferring, and when he got the word it was official, the TCNJ coach went to work.
“Once we were able to talk we connected,” Williams said. “I told him about our history and tradition at TCNJ and the success a lot of our local players have had. More importantly he had the opportunity to step right in and contribute and play at home in front of his family and friends.”
Williams said there were a few other schools in the mix, but TCNJ’s tradition and location are what sold Brackett.
“I’m happy he chose us,” Williams said. “I think it’s a good fit.”
If one year is any indication, it is a perfect fit, but no one knew that going in. Williams wasn’t sure where Brackett’s mindset was at after his bad North Jersey experience. Was he disillusioned? Was he hungry to bounce back?
Because Brackett didn’t have to sit out after transferring, like at the Division I level, the coach would get his answers on the court in actual games that counted.
“On the Division III level, when you bring a transfer in you don’t get an opportunity to find out what they’re really missing both mentally and physically,” Williams said. “But he came in, in the right frame of mind, which made the transition better.
“I was able to coach him, get on him, hopefully give him some foundation and make him a better player. I’m so excited because all the energy and all the effort he put forward to be a first-team All-Conference player is definitely a solid foundation we need as a program.”
Brackett was solid from the get-go. In the season-opening loss to City College of New York he had 21 points and 17 rebounds, which began a familiar, season-long pattern.
And while the experience at Bloomfield wasn’t great, it was helpful.
“While I was there I learned what playing hard was,” he said. “I guess throughout high school if you’re more gifted than other kids you’re gonna do pretty good things. College, it’s a different thing. You’re gonna earn it each day, you have to work harder than you ever worked before.
“I learned that halfway through the year. Off the court I learned it’s more than basketball, you have to like the school, have to like the academics. So even though it didn’t work out, going there probably was the best thing that happened to me.”
His decision to transfer was the best thing to happen to Lions basketball this season, and Brackett definitely exceeded what Williams was hoping for. Particularly in rebounding, as Brackett broke a record that was set 29 years before he was even born.
“The reality is, we’ve had some great rebounders that have come through here,” Williams said. “For him to do it within our conference, where probably by the eighth or ninth game of the season he was on everyone’s scouting report as the first person to stop, he was still able to rebound and give us points. That was a credit to his work ethic and what he’s all about as a young man.”
The obvious question is, aside from his height, what makes Brackett such a good rebounder?
“He’s athletic and he has the instinct to get to the basketball,” Williams said. “Anytime you talk about being a good rebounder you always hear about the instincts. I think he really has the particular knack to put himself in position even before the ball is even released, and he’s strong, so he’s able to kind of also bull his way in there.”
Brackett said he surprised himself at getting the record, but can’t really enjoy it since he’s still in his playing days.
“It’s pretty crazy that no one got that record in 50 years,” he said. “I really don’t know what to take away from it right now, but it’s pretty cool.”
Would he like it to stand for another 50?
“No,” he said. “I hope someone breaks it next year. That means another good player is coming in.”
Sounds like a guy who has fallen back in love with basketball.
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