This season, the Saint Louis University Billiken basketball team will take a trip to Portland, Oregon. The Billikens will face off against the dangerous Portland Pilots, as part of a homecoming for junior forward, Brian Conklin.
Conklin is one of many basketball players not from the St. Louis area; he is originally from Eugene, Oregon, which is two hours south of Portland. Along with being a proud Billiken athlete, Conklin is also very proud of his Oregon Ducks football team.
Back home, Conklin has two younger siblings: brother Justin and sister Carolyn. He was two-time All-State first team selection at North Eugene High School and averaged 20.4 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.7 blocks a game as a senior. His junior year, Conklin lead his team to an undefeated 28-0 record and a 5A Oregon State Championship.
After his highly decorated junior season in high school, Conklin committed to SLU. He was a very early recruit for the Billikens. He knew that SLU was the right fit for him because of the solid recruiting class and the academic programs offered.
Conklin is a student at the John Cook School of Business with a concentration in finance.
“I always liked finance…dealing with money and stocks had always been something that I have wanted to do. One day, I would love to work for an NBA franchise in the finance department,” Conklin said.
At 6-foot-6-inches and 230 pounds, Conklin is a force to be reckoned with in the paint. He knows that he will have to use his body to become a better overall rebounder.
Conklin said, “With Willie [Reed] gone, I am going to have to fill the void in the rebounding department. I want to lead to the team in rebounds and become more selfish on the offensive glass.”
His freshman year, Conklin started 29 of 32 games for the Billikens. He averaged a .522 shooting percentage on the season, ranking him seventh on the all-time freshman list. During the second exhibition game last season, Conklin hurt his ankle and was never able to come back 100%. This decrease in playing time forced Conklin to regain all of his lower body strength and quickness. Conklin expects to return this season fully healed, with a new motivation.
Conklin said Majerus would describe him as a “great screener and the emotional leader on and off the court.”
The “Oregon Enforcer” will have to bring that emotional and physical presence to the court for the Billikens this season. Conklin will continue to work on his jump shot during the season, which he said is one of the weaker parts of his game.
When asked about fellow Billiken forward Cory Remekun: “He has changed by leaps and bounds since last season: his physical appearance, his athletic ability, even his cool new haircut.”
Conklin also talked a little bit about his roommate and Billiken guard, Kyle Cassity. “This season, we need him to step up as a scorer, and I am looking forward to seeing him score more points for us this year. Kyle is a great roommate, but he doesn’t like to do the dishes.”
