Trib HSSN boys basketball player of the week – Deng Mu

School – Brentwood

Class – Senior

Height – 6-foot-8

Position – Forward

#Earned – The family plan for Deng Mu was to come over from Uganda, a country located in East Africa, to the United States before he reached high school.

However, the world wide shutdown in 2020 due to the covid-19 virus changed those plans.

Instead, Mu came to the U.S. this past August, where he moved in with his uncle in Brentwood.

It has been a success story for both he and his Spartans’ teammates, despite the fact Mu is still very green when it comes to basketball.

Having played soccer his whole life, Mu only started playing basketball last year as a junior at his high school in Uganda.

He learned quickly that dunking the basketball is good, and that few others at his level could achieve that feat.

He also found out the fans of both his team and the opposing school love seeing him rattle the rim with a one or two-handed jam.

While he continues to work on the nuances of his game, including his shooting, he has been quite impressive in his rookie season in the United States.

Mu has scored 444 points in 23 games, for an average of 19.3 points per game.

When last week began, Mu scored 31 points as Brentwood concluded the regular season with a 68-51 loss at Keystone Oaks. The loss ended the Spartans’ four-game win streak.

Brentwood entered the 2026 postseason with a 12-10 record, four more victories than it had a year ago.

The playoffs started early as the Spartans enjoyed a home game in the WPIAL Class 2A preliminary round, hosting Beth-Center on Thursday.

The Spartans jumped out to a good start, leading by six points after one quarter and 15 points by halftime.

Brentwood defeated Beth-Center, 58-41, with Mu leading the way with 23 points.

The win gives the Spartans the No. 16 seed and the tall task of visiting top-seeded and defending champion Jeannette in the Class 2A first round Monday.

Mu has enjoyed his time at Brentwood and in the United States, saying he has become a big fan of American football, starting with the Spartans and including the Steelers.

One thing he could do without is the brutal winter in Western Pennsylvania. He hates the cold and he already had seen snow when he would visit nearby mountains in Uganda.

He is hoping to continue his academic and basketball career at a college in the fall. Some smaller schools have started showing interest in him.

2026 Trib HSSN Boys Basketball Players of the Week

Week 4 – Aaron Webb, Indiana

Week 3 – Liam Sheely, Mt. Lebanon

Week 2 – Nick Trklja, Thomas Jefferson

Week 1 – Nathan Schanbacher, North Hills