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Brumbaugh Making His Comeback

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By NICK WILLIAMS, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 27, 2008

TAMPA - Nearing his final year at DeLand High School, Keith Brumbaugh was rated as one of the top basketball players in the country. He had boxes of college recruitment letters, and he even considered jumping straight to the NBA.

He averaged 30 points, 12 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game and was named 2005 Mr. Florida Basketball his senior year. The 6-foot-9 forward was also selected as a third-team All-American by Parade Magazine. Rather than following other high school phenoms into the NBA, Brumbaugh decided to attend Oklahoma State.

That was when things went downhill for the coveted standout.

Deemed academically ineligible his first semester at Oklahoma State, Brumbaugh left the team before the second semester. In 2006, he transferred to Chipola College in Marianna, but he left the team after one month because of differences with the coach.

Since then, he has had reported run-ins with the law and has played sparingly in pro-am basketball leagues and workout camps. According to a Volusia County arrest report, on May 20, 2006, Brumbaugh was arrested in Orange City for fleeing and eluding police and resisting arrest without violence. In the report, police said they found a rifle and ammunition, along with a knife, in a car with Brumbaugh and another passenger.

"I was getting into trouble," Brumbaugh said. "It was like putting yourself into a hole and you're already in one. I tried to avoid people, and the one time I see somebody, something happens. One time my mom just broke down and cried. She said 'I never knew anybody that trouble keeps following them like you.'"

Searching for a new start, Brumbaugh sought out Hillsborough Community College after learning that Coach Derrick Worrels had a reputation for helping players with tarnished reputations.

"He was a player's coach," Brumbaugh said.

But weeks before arriving at HCC, Brumbaugh was arrested in Gainesville for having a physical altercation with a club bouncer. Brumbaugh knew he had to fix his reputation if he wanted to have another chance at playing Division I basketball and eventually the NBA.

"This is a stable environment for me here," Brumbaugh said.

Brumbaugh said he lacked that stable environment while he was in high school. As he moved toward college, he had no one to guide him.

"No one told me how I was supposed to be a professional on and off the court," he said. "Right now, I'm trying to take things one week at a time."

When he finally met his new player, Worrels couldn't imagine why people spoke badly of him.

"They were looking for a confrontation from him," Worrels said. "We all know Keith is no angel, but he's a very likable young man. He's no different from any kid who gets upset. Future success is not based on past performances."

Although he had not played an official season since his senior year at DeLand, Brumbaugh, a sophomore, is the second-leading scorer in the NJCAA with 36.7 points, and he also averages 10.0 rebounds and 4.6 steals. Scout.com rates Brumbaugh a four-star recruit, and says he is drawing interest from South Florida and Connecticut. A Rivals.com report says Ohio State is also interested.

Worrels said Brumbaugh has done a commendable job of staying clear of trouble since he arrived in Tampa. During a road trip this season, Worrels said Brumbaugh decided to stay on the team bus while other players and coaches walked through a local mall for hours.

"It might be by the grace of God he's here," Worrels said.

His teammates say Brumbaugh has become a leader on the team and defend him when others speak negatively about him.

"I tell those people 'you don't play with him,'" freshman guard Kelvin Higgins said. "He's a good teammate. He's relentless offensively. He has the will to win."

"People expect me to be mean or cocky," Brumbaugh said.

Brumbaugh said getting back on track hasn't been easy, and to rebuild his endurance and consistency, he practices countless hours and shoots more than 1,200 shots every weekend. Mentally and emotionally, he said he is in much better shape than he was coming out of high school. He is even become a family man, spending his time off the court with his girlfriend and their 1-year-old daughter.

"I'm a changed person," he said, "a more responsible person."

Reporter Nick Williams can be reached at (813) 865-4848 or nwilliams@tampatrib.com.

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