On a Friday night in March, 2013, with a national television audience watching, “Dunk City” was born as Brett Comer led the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles to an upset over number 2 seed Georgetown. The up-tempo style and flourish captivated the country, and Comer, the point guard with a flair for beautiful passes, was suddenly the face of this phenomenon. It didn’t end there, as the Eagles then knocked off San Diego State to become the first number 15 seed to reach the Sweet Sixteen. The run would end with a loss to Florida, but everyone now knew Florida Gulf Coast, and Comer.
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The attention was great, but it was just the beginning for Comer, who would go on to be named First Team Atlantic Sun in his final two college seasons. As a senior, the 6’3 Comer averaged 12.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game, as well as 7.2 assists, good for sixth in the nation. He also ended the year with a terrific 3:1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
It’s that ability to pass and run an offense, as well as add some scoring and defense that has NBA teams interested in Comer, and he is able to look back over the past four seasons to see how his development has progressed.
“My game changed in a lot of ways since I started college,” said Comer. “Each year, my assist-to-turnover ratio improved as I learned to play smarter. Also, when Coach (Joe) Dooley came in, he wanted me to be a more complete player and look to score more.”
The development for Comer wasn’t limited to on the court. “I was dealing with a lot of issues when I started college,” Comer explained. “My father had passed away when I was a junior in high school, and I was still working through a lot of the emotions from that as I started college. My experience at Florida Gulf Coast really helped me to grow and mature, and to use the emotion I was feeling productively.”
Comer’s college career got off to a strong start, averaging 9 points, 4 rebounds, and almost 6 assists per game under then-new coach Andy Enfield. The Eagles finished 15-17 in just their fifth Division I season, at a school that is still less than 20 years old. Things were on the upswing, but it was nothing like what would happen a season later.
As a sophomore, Comer and his teammates stepped things up a notch, and the rest was NCAA Tournament history. After knocking off Mercer in the Atlantic Sun Tournament championship, a game where Comer scored 21 points while dishing out 5 assists, the Eagles headed to their first NCAA Tournament appearance, and the birth of “Dunk City.”
With the attention, things definitely changed for all involved in the program, especially Comer. “It was crazy how things just blew up so quickly,” Comer recalled.
“There were articles on ESPN about us, and the fans and the school loved us. There was a lot happening, but having played high school ball with Austin Rivers and seeing all the attention he had to deal with then, I had a handle on how to deal with it. I learned from that that none of the surrounding hype is that important. You still need to go out and perform.”
Still, expectations were raised, not only at the school, but in the college basketball world. Comer wasn’t going to let that get in the way of what needed to get done. “Realistically, what we did as a number 15 seed had never been done, and to expect a repeat, or to make the tournament every year, would be really tough to do,” Comer said.
With the expectations, things changed even more drastically after that season, as Enfield decided to leave Florida Gulf Coast for the head coaching job at USC. Comer was grateful for Enfield did, but he was excited for what, and who, was next.
“Coach Dooley coming from Kansas, and the expectations he had for the program, and us as players, put things in perspective,” Comer said. “He knew we had to keep building on what he had done, and he made us more accountable as players and people. Coach Dooley allowed us to play different styles, and he really challenged me to limit my turnovers and score more.”
The whole college experience has shaped Comer’s game, and he sees which of skills will translate to the pro level. “The passing skills definitely help, being able to get your teammates the ball in the right place,” Comer said. “Coach Dooley also helped me with my shooting, making me more of a threat, and forcing defenders to have to come out and guard me in the pick-and-roll. He also taught me to be tougher and how to be better defensively.”
Though his shooting has improved, Comer still knows there is more he can do to make it better. “I’ve been working on creating my shot better, and shooting off the dribble more effectively, because I was so used to having to get into the paint.” said Comer. “Plus, I’ve been working on extending my range, which I’ll need for the next level.”
After his season ended, Comer was invited to the prestigious Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, playing with many of the best seniors in the country. “Playing at Portsmouth showed that I could hold my own with some of the best players in the country,” said Comer. “I definitely got a better feel for this process, and it was great playing with guys with the same dreams and goals.”
Comer’s dream is the NBA, and he gets to now show how his work has paid off. He worked out for the Miami Heat on May 26, the next step in his journey to prove he belongs.
“I’ve always been told that I wasn’t good enough, and every step of the way, I’ve proved people wrong,” Comer said. “I love to play the game, and I’ll do what it takes to be successful, compete, and make my team better.”
The odds he has beaten have gotten bigger each year, but there’s no reason to think he won’t continue to beat them every time. Keep that in mind when Comer makes it to the NBA.
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