It’s Dec. 12, 2018. Bradley is getting set to take on New Mexico for the final installment of the now-defunct Missouri Valley versus Mountain West challenge. Braves’ starting point guard and leading scorer Darrell Brown Jr. takes the floor for his normal pre-game warm-ups.
However, one thing is different: a white, Under Armour headband across the 5-10 junior’s forehead, and Headband Darrell was born.
Brown went on to drop a team-high 20 points and four assists, but Bradley would fall 85-75.
Three days later, when the Braves traveled to Little Rock, Brown’s forehead was bare. Bradley’s next home game, Headband Darrell failed to make an appearance.
Games came and went, wins and losses piled up, but the white UA sweat piece didn’t see the floor. Headband Darrell was officially dormant.
Rumors swirled. Speculation flew. But Brown’s temple was graced by nothing but a well-trimmed hairline.
Fast forward. It’s Jan. 29, 2020. Brown is coming off of two straight games on the sideline due to a leg injury – the first two games he’s missed in his BU career.
For the first time in 424 days, Headband Darrell makes an appearance and it appears as if he never missed a beat.
In 35 minutes of gameplay, the legend of Headband Darrell was reborn. The senior scores 17 points and dishes out five assists in a 80-69 Bradley victory over Valparaiso.
After the game, Brown said he had a particular reason for breaking out the sweatband: literally because of sweat.
“I knew I was gonna be sweating a lot since I missed a week,” he said with a smile.
Despite the immediate impact of the headband, Brown left it in the locker room for the Braves’ trip to Loyola on Feb. 1. Bradley would lose 62-51, and Brown fell short of double digits with eight points.
Since the loss at Gentile Arena, Headband Darrell has been a mainstay of the Bradley lineup. In every game, Brown has sported either a red or white Under Armour headband to match with the Braves customary red road uniforms and home whites.
The result? A 7-3 record since the Loyola road loss, and an 8-3 overall record when the Headband is on the floor.
Brown’s personal numbers certainly don’t lie about the piece of polyester and rubber. In 11 games, Brown has averaged 18 points and 4.3 assists while wearing the now-iconic band, compared to his season average of 15.3 and 2.6.
There is no denying Headband Darrell has provided some moisture-wicking magic for the Braves, who will play for the chance to make back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances this afternoon versus Valparaiso.
Bradley is particularly strong when Brown sports the white band, posting a record of 6-1. However, the Memphis native denies wearing the band is an act of superstition.
“No, it’s just something I do every game,” Brown said with a laugh. “You’re going to keep seeing the headband on me as long as I keep playing basketball at Bradley.”
With the Braves set to wear their home whites yet again in the title game, Bradley fans should be happy to hear the sweat-trapper will be making an appearance for the 11th consecutive game.
Last season, it was head coach Brian Wardle’s flashy red shoes that made waves in the Braves’ run to the big dance.
This season, #HeadbandDarrell could be the wardrobe phenomenon Bradley needs to go back-to-back.
