Lucas: Brooks Evolves On And Off Court

By Adam Lucas

Cameron Johnson's intense offseason workouts impressed the Carolina coaching staff, helped turn him into an All-ACC first-team selection, and helped make him an NBA lottery pick.

But they also did something else—they made an impression on Garrison Brooks, who says his offseason schedule was influenced by watching Johnson's hard work turn into results.

"The biggest thing I focused on is getting reps," Brooks says. "Before he left, Cam told me that if I would work to get up the numbers, I would see the results on the court."

That doesn't mean Brooks will suddenly turn into a perimeter marksman (although he's quick to note that he does feel comfortable shooting out to the three-point line, but understands that isn't his role on this year's team). It does mean that Brooks spent his summer trying to get more comfortable with a few key post and midrange offensive options.

That's an important piece of development for a player who has only two career back-to-back double-digit scoring performances. Brooks is well-known for his defensive prowess—he's won 20 defensive player of the game awards from the coaches in his two seasons—and his toughness was proven when he played 15 second half minutes against Washington last year in the NCAA Tournament after taking a nasty shot to his lower lip. Those two skills mean he's going to see plenty of minutes for a Roy Williams-coached team; adding a couple offensive weapons will make him even more important. He's not flashy, but Carolina wouldn't win as many games without him.

Brooks' teammates have noticed how hard he's worked and the progress he's made. Their respect means that along with senior Brandon Robinson, the junior will have a leadership role on this year's relatively inexperienced team. That's where another former teammate has been influential.

"Luke Maye is one of the best leaders I have been around," Brooks says. "He helped me so much. I was around Luke more than some of the other guys because we are both bigs, and I was able to see how he worked with us. The biggest thing I learned from him is leading by example and always being positive. When Luke saw a young guy who needed a word, he would always try to pick us up. And because he always worked hard, we wanted to work hard."

Even if Brooks develops into a regular double-figure scorer this season, it's likely his basketball development will still be a distant second to his personal development. There may be no player in the Roy Williams era who has undergone as dramatic a transformation as Brooks.

As a freshman, the Lafayette, Alabama, native was…well, let him tell it. "My freshman year, I was really uncomfortable," Brooks says. "I wasn't confident at all. I struggled a lot. I was basically trying to sit back and not let anyone notice me."

The freshman version of Brooks was reluctant to do any media interviews and his personality was mostly just a rumor. His roommate, Sterling Manley—who often imitated Brooks' deep Alabama accent—claimed there was a fun-loving guy inside Brooks somewhere. Most outsiders never saw it.

Enter Coby White. Carolina's one-year star made a major impact on the court for the Tar Heels, but he was equally influential as a foil to Brooks. White seemed to have a special talent for needling the big man, and as Brooks got more comfortable jawing with White, he became more relaxed both inside and outside of the Carolina locker room. This year's two Tar Heel representatives at ACC media day, the biggest one-day collection of interviews until the NCAA Tournament, were Robinson and Brooks.

"Coby helped bring me out of my shell, and he also showed me how to be more aggressive on the court and be the player I needed to be," Brooks says. "He always pushed me to get better, and he would also give me a little trouble now and then." White also wasn't above manufacturing nicknames for Brooks, which led to one of last year's most entertaining storylines on the Carolina Insider podcast (Mr. Pickle vs. Lil' Gerb).

On Thursday, Brooks was named to the Karl Malone Award watch list. He's an acknowledged leader on a team expected to be one of the best in the country. And he's setting high goals for his team.

"A reasonable goal for our team is a national championship," Brooks says. "We mesh together really well. We have the right leaders. And I think we'll be really good on defense, inside and on the glass. That will be our staple this year."

University of North Carolina Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Garrison Brooks

Cameron Johnson

Sterling Manley

Luke Maye

Brandon Robinson

Coby White

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