The unofficial start to the basketball season begins with the Husky Run, a 3.4-mile race around UConn's campus which allows students to run alongside players before practices for the upcoming season get underway. The race was Wednedsday and the winner was Ghanian native seven-foot sophomore center Amida Brimah.
“In my country, I’m considered slow,” Brimah said, according to the Hartford Courant.
Brimah, who offered a surprising off-the-bench spark during the 2013-14 championship run, always seems to exceed expectations. The Husky Run was no different; he was just one of two players to finish ahead of coach Kevin Ollie.
Details via the New Haven Register:
Ollie wound up finishing with an impressive time of 21:25 — behind just two of his players. Amida Brimah, the 7-foot sophomore, was the top UConn hoops finisher in 20:22, and junior guard Omar Calhoun was second in 20:51. (Wallingford’s Jon Gill, a junior on the Lyman Hall cross country team, was the overall winner in 18:30).
“It definitely sets a tone,” guard Ryan Boatright said of Ollie’s performance. “When I came out of the locker room and saw him dressed, I knew he was gonna go out there and try to beat all of us. K.O. is just K.O., man. He does that type of stuff. We’ll come out to practice and he’ll be dressed, ready to practice with us. It wasn’t a surprise to us.”
Brimah also earned another honor recently: he, along with senior point guard Ryan Boatright, was named team captain.
“He embodies everything that we want in our student-athletes,” Ollie said. “(He’s) on time, dedicated and he gives himself to others. What defines a captain is maximum effort and willingness to help others. If I had a picture that embodies those two things, Amida would be right there. That’s why he’s a captain.”
