A love for the game: Stockman family shares strong bond through basketball
There’s a debate that’s gone on among the Stockman family the last few years.
Who is the best basketball shooter? Is it father Tony Stockman? Or is it one of his sons, Ben Lippen standouts Braysen or Maddox?
Tony Stockman, the Columbia International University men’s basketball coach and an accomplished player in high school, college and overseas, doesn’t hesitate when the question comes up.
“I’m still the best shooter in the family,” he said with a smile.
Braysen, a junior at Ben Lippen, had some pushback for his father’s answer.
“As of right now until we run it back, he is. But it is going to be me,” Braysen said.
Because of their busy schedules, the three don’t spend time in shooting contests with each other. And Tony admits he won’t play one-on-one against his sons until he gets in better shape.
But there is no doubt: Basketball is one of the centerpieces of the family and doesn’t stop with Braysen and Maddox. Stockman’s two daughters, Mytae and Solae, also play the game. Mytae plays for Ben Lippen’s middle school team where her father is one of the coaches.
Stockman put a list of summer goals for 8-year-old Solae on the refrigerator. Those include dribbling behind her back and through her legs, and getting better at her basketball skills.
The Stockman family’s love for basketball starts with Tony, who was a co-Mr. Basketball in Ohio with Chester Mason in 2000. NBA great LeBron James won three straight Ohio Mr. Basketball awards, starting the year after Stockman won his.
Stockman wanted to stay home and play for Ohio State, but coaches wanted him to redshirt his first season. So, he ended up at Clemson and played for Larry Shyatt.
Stockman played two seasons, averaging 12 points a game for the Tigers before transferring back home to play for the Buckeyes. He appeared in 120 games in his college career and averaged 12.4 points.
Stockman spent seven seasons playing overseas with stops in France, Germany, Israel, Brazil, Argentina and Mexico before he decided to call it a career. He and his wife Brittany moved back to Ohio, where he spent six seasons as head coach at Ohio Christian before taking the job at CIU for the 2018-19 season.
The Rams are 18-4 this year heading into Saturday’s game at Bryan College (Tennessee).
“Basketball is a way to learn through life stuff. It took me all over the world and it has been good to me,” Tony Stockman said.
Now, Tony has passed that love down to his sons.
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Both Braysen and Maddox said having a father who is a college coach has its benefits. They live within walking distance from CIU’s gym and can go put up shots any time they want. They play pickup games in the summer with college players to make them better.
And Tony isn’t easy on them. They both told the story of two-a-day workouts when Braysen and Maddox were in elementary school.
“I told them, if you play basketball, I will hold you to a standard. If you pick something else I don’t know I will support you but I only know so much,” Tony said. “If you pick basketball, you have to be ready for all that comes with it.”
The brothers have tried other sports, including football, soccer and an ill-fated attempt at golf that ended up with a trip to the hospital when one of them hit the other with a golf club.
But basketball is their passion, and they both have had a ball in their hands since they were toddlers.
“We made a love for it,” Braysen said. “We weren’t forced. We love every second of it. Our dad has helped us so much. Everything I know is from him. He is the reason why we are as good as we are.”
Added Maddox: “I never felt like I had to play basketball. I have enjoyed it all my life.”
Braysen, who is a year older, and Maddox have both played on Ben Lippen’s varsity team since they were eighth-graders. Braysen has blossomed into one of the area’s top players and became the school’s all-time leading scorer against Hammond on Feb. 8.
The 6-foot-1 junior has 2,026 career points heading into the playoffs. The previous record was held by Mitchell Deter (1,994). And he still has a full year to add to the record.
This season, Braysen is averaging 28.8 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and is an 80% free-throw shooter. He is starting to get college interest and has an offer from Middle Tennessee.
Maddox is second on the team in scoring at 12.4 points and is averaging a team-high 4.7 assists.
“It is fun to see their growth and fun to see us work out and then translate the things they worked on,” Tony Stockman said. “They want to be good, but they know the things they have to do to be great.”
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