Briante Weber’s dunk among the best in college basketball so far

Quinn Casteel
Assistant Sports Editor
Commonwealth Times Sports’ Twitter

This dunk by freshman Briante Weber, which took place late in last Wednesday’s win over Western Kentucky, is among the best dunks by any VCU player, or for that matter any player in the country to this point in the young season.

Weber showed off his quick hands stripping WKU guard Kevin Kaspar, but the steal is just a prelude to the throwdown from which he takes off and covers more than half the distance between the free throw line and the basket.

What makes the play even more glamorous is Weber’s celebration afterwards, where he salutes the Western Kentucky bench.

“It was kind of something that just came up, I didn’t know what to do at first,” said Weber. “I was just so excited, I didn’t know what to do but I had to do something.”

Weber did not say whether he would make the salute a trademark move, but considering his ups and his tendency to make SportsCenter type plays, he is bound to have more opportunities for flashy celebrations.

Flashiness, however, is not Weber’s entire game. His defense, as he demonstrated against WKU and again in the Alabama game, is a perfect match for Shaka Smart and Havoc.

“I was in a very defensive mindset type of organization everywhere,” said Weber. “My rec teams played a full-court press everywhere, like wild animals. We were everywhere so that helped me grow as a player.”

Look for Weber to continue to get solid minutes and perhaps continue on as a long term starter, both as a sparkplug on offense and a menace on defense.

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Photo by Chris Conway