“I’m getting all kinds of calls from people. They’ve been so nice,” Brown said.
The 79-year-old former coach has been sidelined with a lower-back issue. It started during a Florida vacation, and it grew worse during a flight to Colorado State for the season-opener.
He’s been diagnosed with spinal stenosis and will undergo surgery in the next few weeks.
“I can’t imagine I’m going to do a game (again this year). I could make it out there. I use a walker in the house or if we go out. But I don’t know how I’m going to be after I’ve sat a while,” he said.
“When I sit, I’m fine. But when I get up and walk, there’s pain. And where it’s really bad is when I stand. … It’s like it’s on fire.”
Brown rode with Collins to the Indiana game Nov. 16. The visiting radio team sits in the second deck, and he was in severe pain on the way home.
“The surgeon said it’s fixable. He may have to fuse a couple vertebra,” he said.
Brown has still watched every game thanks to ESPN+ and has been buoyed by the Raiders’ modest two-game winning streak. They’re 8-8 overall and 3-2 in the Horizon League.
“I listen to coach (Scott) Nagy, and I understand his frustration,” Brown said. “I thought they’d play so much more consistent. But their schedule was really difficult, and I don’t think the average fan has any idea how difficult it’s been.
“I said before the season, ‘They could be 0-3 and have a good team. The problem with that is, you can be good, but your confidence gets shook. You start doubting yourself. Scheduling is the toughest thing in basketball.”
He believes the Raiders are back on track and ready to make a run at the league title.
As for him, the plan is, hopefully, to return to broadcasting next season.
Brown was head coach at Wright State in 1996-97 and was Ralph Underhill’s top assistant for years before that.
He does the games because of his love for the program, refusing to be paid for his services.
“I feel like I owe them something. They’ve been good to me for a long, long time,” he said.
CAREER LISTS: Tanner Holden is one made foul shot away from tying Vernard Hollins for the all-time program record.
Holden is 474 of 634 (74.8%), while Hollins went 475 of 783 (60.7%) from 2000-04.
Trey Calvin is closing in on DaShaun Wood for second in career scoring. Calvin, who has played five years, has 1,830 points, while Wood had 1,849 from 2003-07.
The Raiders are assured of 16 more games, and Calvin would have to average 29.6 points in that span to catch all-time scoring champ Bill Edwards, who tallied 2,303 from 1989-93.
Holden has climbed to seventh in career scoring in four seasons with 1,755 points, 11 behind sixth-place Keion Brooks (1995-99).
LET ‘EM PLAY: Nagy goes against conventional thinking on using timeouts — but he has no plans to change.
The Raiders took a 25-10 lead against Cleveland State on Thursday, only to have the Vikings storm back and tie it at 25-all.
Though he had his full arsenal of timeouts, he opted not to burn one to slow the surge.
“I can’t hear what people say, but I’m sure people are screaming, ‘Call timeout!’ But it’s just not what I do,” said Nagy, whose team won handily, 82-70.
“Our players responded. They scored the next two baskets. I don’t think we lost the lead after that. I’m trying to hang on to my timeouts as much as I can for the second half.”
WEDNESDAY’S GAME
Wright State at Robert Morris, 7 p.m., ESPN+, 101.5
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