By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Levi Braun feels like a recent health scare was a sign that it was time to begin the next stage in his athletic caeer.
So when Washburn University men's basketball tips off 2024 against Central Oklahoma Thursday night in Lee Arena, the former Hayden star won't be in uniform for the Ichabods but will be still be on the WU bench, beginning his transition to coaching as a volunteer assistant on Brett Ballard's coaching staff.
Former Hayden star Levi Braun will join the Washburn University staff as a volunteer assistant coach after graduating from WU in December and ending his playing career. [File photo/TSN]
Braun, who earned his degree from Washburn in December, said the timing is right to step away from playing while still remaining involved in the sport he loves.
"I was already kind of struggling a little bit this year, kind of felt my body breaking down a little bit and just kind of mentally thinking about where I was with my role on the team,'' Braun said. "I think part of that stress honestly might have helped cause some of the stuff that came about with my heart.
"I prayed a lot and then I did get diagnosed with some heart stuff, which was kind of scary at first, but I'm feeling a lot better now. I think God was telling me it was time to stop playing competitively, but I think I have a calling to coach and to teach this game so I'm very thankful for coach to kind of let me serve out the rest of this season as a volunteer assistant and continue to be around the guys. It's honestly a blessing and I'm excited about this role and just what this team can accomplish for the rest of the season.''
Ballard said he and Braun were on the same page when they talked about his future.
"He had a little bit of a heart issue that had set him out for awhile and everything checked out and he got cleared but he was graduating and he just felt like the timing was right just to be done,'' Ballard said. "It was a mutual agreement and he brought that to me that he wanted to go ahead and finish up but stay with the program and I was 100 percent OK with it.''
Braun, who helped Hayden win a state championship, finished his playing career as Washburn's all-time leader in 3-point field goal percentage at .450 while hitting 148 of 329 career attempts.
He finished 13th in all-time makes and 14th in all-time attempts, scoring 550 points in 87 career games with 25 starts. Braun scored a career-high 21 points in three different games.
"I am proud,'' Braun said. "It's been a blessing, just to be from here, to be here for as long as I've been, to play in some of the games I've played in. It's been amazing. I'm definitely proud of what I've done but also just what I've been a part of. It's not just about me. I've accomplished some cool things but just some of the teams I've been on and what I was able to go through it's definitely prepped me for what's to come.''
"He's a stud, just in general,'' Ballard said. "He came in and he's played on multiple national tournament teams, MIAA tournament championship teams and Levi was a guy who on any given night could play 18 minutes or he could play four minutes and he never wavered on his attitude and his effort no matter how much he played.
"And he came in and made big plays and made big shots and helped us win a lot of games. On the court a phenomenal attidude, phenomenal in how he's handled this year, he couldn't be better. Off the court, involved in the community, got his degree, going to coach, going to impact young kids. Just all-around he's what college basketball is all about.''
Braun, who has already served as an instructor for the Darting Basketball Academy, will make a decision on what level he wants to coach at somewhere down the line, but is excited about his options.
"I think coaching at the high school level during the winter time would be fun, but where I get the most excited is skill development and the training aspect of it,'' Braun said. "I've done a lot with Kerry Darting and his Academy and that's something I've really enjoyed doing.
"I want to help some of the elite guys in this area, too. There's a lot of talent in this area as far as high school goes and I don't think there's any reason why Topeka and Shawnee County shouldn't be sending multiple guys every single year to go play college basketball.''
