Sean O'Brien making steady improvement in Year Two
12/24/2014 | 12:00:00 | DawgTracker
By Katja Sonkeng
SIUSalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - In his Missouri Valley Conference debut last season against No. 8 Wichita State, Saluki forward Sean O'Brien scored 19 points, setting a high standard as a freshman for the rest of his career at Southern Illinois. The contest against the Shockers remains his career high, but he's pushing forward each day in hopes of making that type of game the norm.
O'Brien was part of the supporting cast for All-Conference guards Desmar Jackson and Anthony Beane last year, but this season, the 6-foot-6 forward has assumed a more central role on both offense and defense. He's improved his scoring average from 6.7 points to 10.2 points, and also ranks as the team's top assist-man and shot blocker.
The Mundelein, Ill. native is also trying hard to be the type of leader head coach Barry Hinson believes he can be. Having no seniors on the team, Hinson frequently pleads for the veterans to step up into leadership roles. That call was heard by O'Brien.
"Even though I am one of the younger guys on the team, I've played a lot my first two years, so I am one of the more experienced players," O'Brien said. "I do feel like I have the ability to be the communicator and talk to the guys on the court."
O'Brien said both he and junior guard Jalen Pendleton are working hard to command the respect of their teammates.
"We are always making sure that people are where they have to be on time, when they come to practice that they work hard, when they are in the weight room, they go hard," he explained. "So a lot of what Jalen and me are doing is always pushing them."
It's easy to have respect for O'Brien, who patterns his work ethic after his role model, Michael Jordan. O'Brien spent many extra hours in the gym last summer, putting up shots and refining his game.
"I've been really focusing on my free throws, because I struggled with that a lot last year," said O'Brien, who has improved from a 52 percent free throw shooter last year to 58 percent this season. "As far as scoring, Coach (Terrence) McGee really helped with my shot. He would have me stay after practice every day getting extra shots, so a lot of credit goes to him. I was also working on my 3-point shot, as well as different moves to the basket."
The results are evident in his shooting percentages, where he has improved to 49 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range this year.
Growing up as a guard, O'Brien has always been known for his great court vision and passing skills. Those skills have translated nicely to the hybrid forward position, where he is currently leading the club in assists with 20. More importantly, he is, according to coach Hinson, "by far the team's best post-up threat." And that comes in only O'Brien's second season in college basketball.
"I grew up a lot as a person and player since my first year," he acknowledged. "I got thrown right into it as a freshman and I struggled at first, but by the end of the year I came along and now being in my second year, I don't feel like a sophomore anymore. I almost feel like a junior or senior. Everything has slowed down for me. I am more equipped to the college game."
Being mentally tough is another one of O'Brien's attributes.
"Having a strong mindset is definitely important as it is really physically and mentally taxing the whole season between school and basketball," he said. "I struggled with it a little bit more last year, but got I am doing a better job in handling school and being an athlete."
O'Brien has been passionate about basketball since his early days at a YMCA basketball league. He grew up hearing stories about his grandfather, who played at Notre Dame, and was introduced to the game when he was in kindergarten at the age of five.
"It was my dad who was the one who got me into basketball at a really young age," O'Brien said. "He would tell me about my grandpa all the time. When I was really young, I would watch the Bulls and see Michael Jordan play."
He feels he has plenty of room to grow as a player.
"I like how I play defensively and my role as a leader, but I still think I can keep getting better offensively, and rebounding-wise, and I think I can finish some of the shots that I am missing right now," he said. "I can shoot better free throws and 3-pointers, and I also think I can be a better overall team player."
