South student’s design featured by NCAA

Thursday, April 1, 2021
South Putnam student Brent Wiggins entered an NCAA Final Four billboard contest, with his design actually ending up on the scoreboard for NCAA tournament games.
Courtesy photo

His design may say, “The road ends here,” but for a South Putnam graphic design student, the hope is that his recent recognition is only the beginning.

A design by senior Brent Wiggins has been featured on the scoreboard of recent NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament games, all of which are taking place in Indiana this year.

Wiggins said the idea behind the billboard design contest was to welcome basketball fans from across the nation to Indianapolis (not “In the Annapolis,” where Charles Barkley might lead you).

“We were pretty much free to run with it,” Wiggins said. “They wanted it to be welcoming to people coming into the state from other areas.”

While the design was not chosen to be featured on billboards, it was good enough that organizers felt it worthy of displaying on the jumbotrons during games.

Wiggins had actually completed the design while on quarantine at one point this winter, with graphic design teacher Holly Sims sending it his way. A member of the Eagle basketball team who was having to miss school and basketball, Wiggins was able to pour some energy into the project in what might otherwise have been a period of boredom.

The Wiggins design finished near the top of a recent billboard competition and is instead featured on the scoreboards of the games.
Courtesy photo

“Brent is a talented designer and athlete,” Sims said, “so when I saw this opportunity in the Indy Arts classifieds, he was able to execute it during his time quarantined at home during a time he’d normally be in school and playing basketball as well.”

Wiggins noted that you had to be 18 or older, “so I barely made the cut.” It’s really more of a feather in his cap, though, as this was no student contest, but one that any designer from the state of Indiana could have entered.

“It was a blessing, really. All glory to God,” Wiggins said. “I was really happy to come that far.”

Sims was certainly impressed with her student’s accomplishment.

“Although he did not win the billboard contest, it was great to see his work was still used and recognized at such a large event,” Sims said. “For a professional 18-plus contest, Brent did great work that shows lots of future potential.”

Wiggins said he actually received the email that his design was chosen while in design class one day. It became more real, though, when a former coach messaged him that he saw the design on a scoreboard.

“So I bought tickets to the Michigan-LSU game and I got to see it in person, so it was pretty exciting, really awesome,” Wiggins said.

Wiggins also just happened to see a pretty exciting game, an 86-78 come-from-behind win for the Wolverines in the second round at Lucas Oil Stadium.

“It was a really good game,” Wiggins said. “I got to go with some of my buddies too, so it was a great experience.”

While taking in the Michigan-LSU second-round game of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, South Putnam Senior Brent Wiggins proudly poses with the scoreboard bearing his design and name in the background.
Courtesy photo

Wiggins was also in some nice, vintage gear for the game, wearing a T-shirt commemorating the 1990 Final Four in Denver, more than a decade before he was born.

“I actually just found it at the thrift store and felt like I couldn’t pass on it,” Wiggins said with a laugh. “I felt like it was the right shirt to wear.”

Like so many of us, Wiggins will have his eyes on the Final Four this weekend.

“Obviously. I want to see the underdog UCLA win, but I don’t think anybody’s going to beat Gonzaga,” he said.

The game also won’t be the last time that design leads Wiggins to Indianapolis. Having taken graphic design at Area 30 last year and South Putnam this year, Wiggins will continue his studies next year in downtown Indy.

“My future plan is to go to IUPUI and study communications and graphic design,” Wiggins said. “My end goal is become a designer for a college team. That would be awesome and so fun. That’s my dream goal.”

His teacher is certainly confident in him.

“Brent plans to pursue a career in design, at which I know he will succeed,” Sims said.

For anyone wanting to learn more about Brent’s work, it can be found at www.behance.net/brentwiggins/projects and on Instagram @brentdesignz.

Brent is the son of Paula Wiggins and Scott Wiggins.

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  • Many kudos young man. Congratulations.

    -- Posted by Nit on Fri, Apr 2, 2021, at 7:58 PM
  • Congratulations Brent it looks real nice.

    -- Posted by whill on Mon, Apr 5, 2021, at 7:35 PM
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