There once was a boy from Breaux Bridge whose mother asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. When he answered, “a basketball player,” she bought a basketball, a goal and made it happen. That began the story of Brian Sylvester’s basketball career. At 6’8” tall, he is no longer a little boy, but the thrill of playing basketball is evident every time he takes the court. Brian was playing basketball at Baton Rouge Community College when his roommate signed with the LSUA Generals Basketball program. It was at that time that he met LSUA Men’s Head Basketball Coach Larry Cordaro. Shortly after their meeting, Brian signed on as a General. Now a senior majoring in General Studies with a focus on Kinesiology, Brian has garnered many awards during his time with the Generals. Last season, Brian was the second leading scorer with 430 points.
He also led the team in rebounds and blocked shots. He was named the Red River Conference Defensive Player of the Year in both the 2014-15 and 2015- 16 seasons. He was chosen to be on the All Red River Athletic Conference Tournament 2014-15 and 2015-16 Teams.
Off the court, Brian enjoys riding horses and spending time with his two-year-old daughter, Aubrey. He likes participating in community events that involve children and seeing the light in their eyes when he and his teammates walk into the room. Brian says the coaches at LSUA are the best coaches he has ever had, and that their passion for the game and for the team is what pushes him to always try harder and to give them everything he’s got.
Brian’s mother Sonya is his “everything”. He feels it is because of her that he has become the man he is today. Brian describes his mother as having the biggest heart, the strongest faith and the hardest working person he has ever known. Brian says she has gone above and beyond for him and his older brother. And if he could change one thing about the world it would be that people treat each other as they would like to be treated, because that’s what his Momma taught him.
The little boy from Breaux Bridge is not so little anymore, but a glimpse of him can be seen in his smile as he plays the game he loves. Please support Brian and the Generals by bringing the family for a night of great local basketball in The Fort on the campus of LSUA. The Generals’ schedule can be found at www.lsua.edu.
