Strange: What if? Brewer, Humphrey more than teammates

Corey Brewer sure didn't know it, but maybe his life changed that day, too.

It's a stretch to say Brewer ended up being a Florida Gator because Humphrey already was. And yet there is an undeniable relationship.

It's no stretch at all to say Humphrey and Brewer could have easily ended up in Knoxville playing for Tennessee had the ball of life bounced differently.

But Humphrey and Brewer are here today in the Gaylord Entertainment Center, Gators from their socks to their locks.

The Gators, who face Ohio University in their NCAA tournament first-round game, have as many players from Tennessee as they do from Florida.

Humphrey, a sophomore Maryville, is the top perimeter sub. If somebody sprains an ankle or, say, leaves in midseason to play pro ball in Spain, he becomes a starter.

Brewer, the lanky 6-foot-7 freshman from nearby Portland, has started every game this year.

"I was real fortunate to end up at Florida,'' Humphrey said Thursday before the Gators hit the practice floor. "I've loved about everything that's happened down here.''

In saying "down here" Humphrey was forgetting he's back close to home this weekend. It's an easy mistake.

He could have - would have - played his college ball at UT, had coach Buzz Peterson offered a scholarship. Peterson didn't and the chat-board debate rages yet.

Passing on Humphrey isn't the reason Peterson became unemployed this week. It was a symptom, perhaps, but not the disease.

Now if the question is whether Peterson is still UT's coach today with Humphrey AND Brewer on his roster, you can make a case for that one.

The Vols didn't pass on Brewer. Rather, he stands as Peterson's most painful recruiting miss.

"It came down to Tennessee and Florida and it was a hard choice,'' Brewer said. "It was just two different situations.

"The deciding factor was I had a better chance to win at Florida. And I just really liked the people at Florida to be honest.''

One of those people was Humphrey.

The two have known each other since their early high-school days. They played on Charlie Benson's Tennessee Travelers AAU program. Though in different age groups, they often practiced together and traveled to the same tournaments.

A year older, Humphrey recovered from UT's snub by signing with Florida. Thus, he was there to greet Brewer on his unofficial visit.

"I told him how much I liked it, everything about the university,'' Humphrey said.

The following November, Brewer broke UT's heart and signed with the Gators.

"I'm not sure exactly how influential I was,'' Humphrey said. "Knowing Corey, I don't think he based his decision on me.''

Said Brewer, "It helped some.

"He said he liked it a whole lot. That kind of made me feel good, him being from Tennessee, too.''

The two Tennesseans have ultimately made Florida coach Billy Donovan feel pretty good.

Brewer, in particular, brought a new edge to the Gators.

"It's very difficult for high school players to get to college and affect the game when you take away their scoring,'' Donovan said. "And it's very difficult for a freshman to score in college.

"Corey has managed to affect our team, affect games, not scoring. He's done it with his rebounding, his energy, his defense, his steals.''

The way things turned out, Humphrey and Brewer affected two programs, not just one.

Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strange2@knews.com