If you’re a fan of the Occidental College Tigers, you’re probably a big fan of Makenzie Brandon. A team captain of the very successful Women’s Basketball team, Makenzie has been named First Team All-SCIAC every year of her college career and this year was SCIAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Year. She was also named First Team All-West Region by d3hoops.com, an accolade appropriate for the SCIAC’s top scorer (the powerhouse averages 18.1 points per game and has scored over 30 twice last season). She’s been playing “as long as I can remember,” she says. “I grew up playing a lot with my brothers.”
The years of dedication have paid off, and Makenzie is at the top of her game. When asked what she likes the most about playing basketball at Oxy, she says “I feel so fortunate to play on a team with this group of women who work hard and are so much fun to be around – on and off the court.” Makenzie is so dedicated to her sport that it’s hard to imagine she has much time off the court, but she takes her studies very seriously. The Kinesiology major says that the hardest part of being a student-athlete is “the off season – all of a sudden I have so much time that I don’t know how best to organize it. As classes have gotten harder I’ve had to manage my time better, but our coaches are very flexible and put academics first.” She’s clearly doing something right: she’s been named SCIAC Student Athlete of the Week four times in the last year.
She’s had a hell of a year. So what is Makenzie looking forward to most about senior year? “I’m excited to live off campus!” she says. “Aside from that, I can’t wait to get back on the court and work on some new things.” Sounds like fans of Oxy Women’s Basketball have a lot to look forward to next season, and Makenzie agrees. Her best advice for the incoming class of 2016? “Come to Women’s Basketball games!! …Also, be open to trying something new! There are a lot of opportunities to get into different things here, so don’t limit yourself to the things you did or the types of people you hung out with in high school.”
Don’t miss Makenzie tearing it up on the court in the 2012-2013 season!
Image credit: Oxy Athletics