SANBORN — Brianna Barr-Buday was already a pillar when her senior season at Nichols began.
The 6-foot-2 forward’s play caused opposing teams to make her a top priority on their game-plans, hoping to make her presence inside a non-factor. She led the Vikings to the CHSAA Class AA semifinals as a junior and cemented her future when she became University at Buffalo coach Becky Burke’s first commitment for the Class of 2024.
Barr-Buday’s offensive prowess didn’t diminish as a senior, as she posted a career-best 16.9 points plus 12.7 rebounds per game and led Nichols to the Monsignor Martin final. Any time Barr-Buday could improve her craft, she took the opportunity.
While she continued to work on her moves in the post, Barr-Buday expanded her repertoire through a mid-range jump shot. And injuries in Nichols’ backcourt at times this season allowed her to gain experience as a guard, too.
The steady improvement from season to season to become a scoring threat, along with finishing at the top of record books, earned Barr-Buday Greater Niagara Newspapers Player of the Year.
“Mostly, it was mental, because I knew that, after last year, losing three starters, that I would have to continue my scoring,” Barr-Buday said. “So, it was more of a mental game. And then, it was all about expanding from there. So, shooting more mid-ranges and just taking more shot opportunities.”
Working in the post is second nature to Barr-Buday, having recorded 50 career double-doubles in her three seasons with Nichols, and 19 in each of her two final seasons. But despite averaging 16.2 and 12.8 rebounds last season, Barr-Buday admitted she didn’t have a shooting game to supplement her inside presence, causing her to add a more prominent jump-shot to her game through staying in the gym up to an extra hour after practice.
As a result, Barr-Buday showcased her distance in games, knocking down a career-high 10 3-pointers over the course of the season, three more than her previous two seasons at Nichols combined. Barr-Buday knocked down two 3-pointers in three contests, including in Nichols’ wins against Akron and Mount St. Mary’s.
“The mid-range shots, it’d be muscle memory at that point when I got onto the court,” Barr-Buday said. “… It definitely grew my confidence, because then, I knew I was capable of scoring from everywhere and not just one spot. So, I feel like confidence also helps your shot go in.”
Along with developing her shot, Barr-Buday trained in recent years with former Canisius University forward and FIBA Europe player Darren Fenn, who operates XGen Elite in West Seneca. Post play is what Barr-Buday first worked on with Fenn, which helped grow her presence inside.
Barr-Buday also continued her craft by playing AAU basketball with XGen Elite last summer, which allowed her to face other Division I or Division II commits. The faster pace of AAU helped Barr-Buday push the tempo and elevate her game all-around.
Through the years, Barr-Buday credited the time spent with Fenn, who helped expand her footwork techniques. One benefit was learning various techniques to use against opposing defenses.
“Before, I was mostly low-post work,” Barr-Buday said. “Now, I can score from high-post. I think the more years that went on, I had more counter-moves to go with my post work. Because, it used to just be three-set moves and then we would just slowly kind of add more pivots and stuff like that.”
The expansion in her game overall — both in and out of the paint — also gave Barr-Buday more responsibility in Nichols’ offense. When the Vikings’ backcourt suffered injuries, Barr-Buday volunteered to bring the ball up at point guard and was used on occasion.
But Barr-Buday still knew her role for the Viking was causing chaos inside the arc. This season alone, Barr-Buday finished in double-figure scoring in 21 of Nichols’ 26 games. These included a season-high 38 points against Aquinas and a 26-point, 13-rebound outing against North Tonawanda, when she recorded her 1,000 career point and rebound.
“She’s just a stud and every year, she improves and gets better and better,” Nichols head coach Kayleigh Rizzo said. “… She’s an unbelievable post player. So, her rebounding kept us in many games. We would get multiple attempts on offense because she would rebound and then put it in for us. So, that was definitely critical.”
By career’s end, Barr-Buday recorded 1,586 points and 1,243 rebounds in five varsity seasons. She walks away as Nichols’ all-time leader with 1,191 points and 880 rebounds in 75 career games.
Barr-Buday plans to keep working on her scoring ability and overall game during the offseason, but had a more specific task ahead of her Division I career at Buffalo. To best prepare for the strength she’ll face with the Bulls, Barr-Buday is focusing on strength training.
Currently once a day, Barr-Buday aims to increase her workout regimen, either at X-Gen or in the lifting gym in her aunt’s house, to twice a day once school ends. The focus ranges from gaining strength in areas like her biceps and triceps through weight-lifting.
“I got to muscle up before I get to the next level,” Barr-Buday said. “Those girls are really strong, so, I got to make sure I’m on their level.”
Past GNN Players of the Year: 2009: Kallie Banker (Grand Island); 2010: Kallie Banker (Grand Island); 2011: Kallie Banker (Grand Island); 2012: Kallie Banker (Grand Island); 2013: Cassie Oursler (Grand Island); 2014: Victoria Pryor (Niagara Falls); 2015: Kyri Jackson (Niagara Wheatfield); 2016: Dakaylah Winfield (Grand Island); 2017: Rachel Senek (Wilson); 2018: Riley Crum (Lewiston-Porter); 2019: Lydia Sweeney (Grand Island); 2020: Lydia Sweeney (Grand Island); 2021: Sophie Auer (Lewiston-Porter); 2022: Sophie Auer (Lewiston-Porter); 2023: Sophie Auer (Lewiston-Porter); 2024: Brianna Barr-Buday (Nichols).