As anyone from Providence, R.I. can tell you, Brown's Mark McAndrew has basketball in his genes.
Just a few months ago, McAndrew's 11 points helped the Bears upset Providence, their Big East, in-state rival, for the first time since 2001.
And for McAndrew's biggest supporter - his father, who is also named Mark - the win was bittersweet.
The elder McAndrew made quite a name for himself at Providence, guiding the 1975-76 Friars as team captain to a 22-win season.
But aside from teaching his son some basic fundamentals, he never pushed him to play basketball.
"Believe or not, he's just been a fan," McAndrew said. "He just showed me how to shoot when I was younger, and then I fell in love with it on my own."
McAndrew also excelled on the golf course at Barrington High School - but he found his true passion to be basketball.
Having garnered little attention from college coaches out of high school, the Barrington, R.I. native elected to pursue a post-graduate year at Worcester Academy in order to improve his basketball skills and gain exposure.
The summer after graduating from Barrington, however, McAndrew's impressive performance at the Eastern Invitational, an elite basketball camp, caught the eye of Brown's coach at the time and current Penn coach, Glen Miller.
"He was impressed with my court savvy and shooting ability," McAndrew said. "He also saw that I would be a good fit for his style of play and for the Ivy League in general."
Miller proved to be on target with his initial assessment, as the 6-foot-2 guard has emerged as the Bears' leader - both on and off the court - assuming the role of co-captain.
McAndrew has led Brown this season in points, minutes, and three-point shots made, and he already earned the distinction of Ivy Player of the Week twice.
More recently, his 27-point second half against Yale on Jan. 20 lifted the Bears to a thrilling comeback victory.
But perhaps McAndrew's greatest asset is his ability to read the game - not only for himself but to bring out the strengths of his team as well.
"The strongest part of my game is understanding . where I can get my shots and where I can help my teammates get shots," he said.
Under new coach Craig Robinson, McAndrew's strong work ethic and leadership has made the on-court transition - Robinson is a student of the famed Princeton offense - easier for everyone.
"Coach Robinson has been very demanding and tough on us," he said. "He's wanted to instill a mentality in each and every one of us to play with some confidence and be an aggressive team."
This weekend, McAndrew will need to be on top of his game in order to contain Penn's Ibrahim Jaaber - he says Brown's main goal will be to "slow Ibby down."
Meanwhile, Miller can only hope that his farsightedness at the Eastern Invitational a few years ago doesn't come back to haunt him.
