At 5-foot-7 Westside Wolves hooper Braelen Berard is considered an undersized point guard. Due to his size, Berard understands he must work hard to check all the boxes. And although he’s not a big number scorer on his team, his rebounding ability, hustle defense, and the fact he leads his team in assists make him a game-changer.
“In the game I’m making sure I’m boxing out, hustling for loose balls, just picking up all the little things,” said Berard.
“He’s one of the smaller kids in the program, but he doesn’t let that stop him because of his intelligence and his understanding of the game,” said Westside’s head varsity basketball coach Deon Williams. “Braelen brings a lot of leadership to our program. He’s a great kid and very coachable.”
Berard studies both Chris Paul and CJ McCollum to help elevate his game.
“They’re both little guards that handle business and make a big impact on the game and in regular life,” said Berard.
Braelen Berard
Point Guard
Class: 2024
IG: @Braeloflexo
Twitter: @BerardBraelen
Height & weight: 5-feet-7, 145 pounds
Players he studies: Chris Paul (Golden State Warriors), CJ McCollum (New Orleans Pelicans)
Status: Uncommitted
Favorite artists: PartyNextDoor, Summer Walker, Giveon
Favorite subject: Precalculus
Shout-outs: Mom, dad, brother
Berard began playing basketball with I9 sports in elementary. He joined his first AAU team, the Woods Warriors, in the sixth grade, and in the seventh grade, he made the A team at Kahla Middle School.
“Coach Underwood recommended I play with his AAU team to work on my skills outside of school and show my capability,” said Berard.
During his freshman year, Berard enrolled at Westside High School and joined the Houston Topguns AAU basketball program where they competed in several OTR tournaments. That year Berard played on Westside’s freshman team and averaged 45 points per game. During Berard’s sophomore campaign he transitioned to the varsity team, but his minutes were cut due to being an underclassman.
“I was coming off the bench because we were trying to let our seniors finish out. But at the end of the day, I knew what my next two years would become,” said Berard.
Berard stayed committed and saw the lack of recognition that persisted throughout his sophomore season transform the next year with him being awarded 1st team all-district, and MVP of the HISD district tournament. This recognition boosted his confidence and showed him that hard work was better than talent alone.
“I’ve always had talent, but after my sophomore season and not getting many minutes then coming in junior year, I was on a hunt. So being recognized for my hard work made my day,” said Berard.
In his junior season, Berard earned a spot as a starter. Playing as an underclassman involved grasping concepts swiftly and leveraging his existing quickness. The game didn’t make him faster, but it compelled him to think more critically before making decisions.
“Junior season was my breakout year. I went from averaging five points per game my sophomore season, to 20 points per game with five assists,” said Berard.
During the summer, he worked with Coach Ethan at the court by his home.
“I worked on shooting while on a double rim. That made me work harder because shooting on a double rim forced me to work on the arc and rotation of my shot. I feel this will show in my game this upcoming season,” said Berard.
Offering guidance to fellow aspiring basketball players, Berard advised, “Make sure you polish your game and be confident in your game because at the end of the day, you will never be able to show your full potential if you’re not confident in yourself.”
Beyond seeking a supportive family environment and competitive teammates, Berard is actively searching for a program that will contribute to his personal development while he pursues a degree in business finance.
“I’m interested in a program that’s more about being a young man than just being a basketball player. I want my coaches to have my back outside of basketball as well as inside basketball,” said Berard. “I’ve always been good with numbers. I feel that doing something that uses what I’m good at will make whatever job I pursue a little easier on me.”
