Where did Nuggets guard Christian Braun play college basketball? examining the national champion's path to the NBA

Christian Braun is making the most of his time with the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 NBA postseason, coming off the bench and doing well.

He has been part of winning even before stepping foot on an NBA court but where did Braun come from? We discuss the beginnings of the shooting guard off the bench for the Western Conference champion Nuggets.

What did Christian Braun do before joining the Denver Nuggets?

Braun is a 6-foot-6, 205-pound guard from Overland Park, Kansas. He dominated at Blue Valley Northwest High School, leading his team to three state championships. His incredible play and leadership caught the eye of Kansas Jayhawks coach Bill Self and his recruiting team.

Braun decided to stay in the state as he was not a huge prospect, ranked 145th nationally in the 2019 class. However, there were a lot of notable teams that wanted his services. The Creighton Bluejays, Kansas State Wildcats, Oklahoma Sooners and Illinois Fighting Illini were just some of the programs that extended Braun an offer.

Christian Braun had a solid collegiate career with the Kansas Jayhawks as he played for the program for three seasons. Each season, he got more playing time and showcased his abilities to be trusted on the floor.

Braun appeared in 40 games (39 starts) as a junior year during the 2021-22 season and played extremely well. He averaged 14.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 34.4 minutes per game. His shooting stroke was pristine as well as he shot 49.5% from the field, 38.6 percent from beyond the arc and 73.3 percent from the free-throw line. He was a key cog in the Kansas rotation as the Jayhawks won the 2022 national championship.

Braun did a little bit of everything in the championship game against the North Carolina Tar Heels as he was the only Jayhawk to play all 40 minutes. He finished shooting 6-for-14 for 12 points with 12 rebounds and three assists.

His performance impressed a lot of NBA scouts and helped him become the 21st selection in the 2022 NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets.