UNC Basketball: Garrison Brooks 2017-18 Season Preview
By Grant Hughes
Will freshman Garrison Brooks seize a spot in the starting lineup?
Walker Miller | Sterling Manley | Brandon Huffman
It’s no secret that the UNC basketball team lost a lot of production from its frontcourt last season.
What was once a strength for the 2017 National Champions is now left in question. Starters Kennedy Meeks and Isaiah Hicks graduated while primary backup Tony Bradley left for the NBA.
In an effort to reload his frontcourt, coach Roy Williams brought in three scholarship big men.
Garrison Brooks has the highest pedigree of the three and is projected to be a starter this season by some. Early reports from training camp have backed up this notion.
Roy Williams said this in an interview with Inside Carolina:
"“Garrison is probably a little farther along than the other three right now. If I had to play one of those guys right now, after 11 practices, Garrison would be ahead of the other guys.”"
Starter or not, Brooks looks to carry his strong offseason into a big role for the Tar Heels and produce in his freshman season.
2017-18 role and preview
Currently, there are four Tar Heels that are locks to start in a traditional lineup for UNC. Joel Berry and Theo Pinson will man the wings while Cameron Johnson and Luke Maye seem set at small and power forward.
Unless the Tar Heels go small, a freshman big will be pressed into a starting role and expected to produce.
As of right now, this is Garrison Brooks’ job to lose. If made a starter, Brooks will receive plenty of opportunities in the post.
You can expect Brooks to receive around 15 minutes a game this season while Roy rotates his young bigs. Kennedy Meeks as a freshman received similar playing time and posted 7.6 points per game and a shade over 6 rebounds per contest.
More importantly, Meeks developed into one of the better frontcourt players UNC has had in years under Williams. The development of a player like Brooks will be big for the program moving forward.
Strengths
Brooks is the most athletic of the trio of he, Sterling Manley, and Brandon Huffman. His quickness gives him the key ability to run the floor in Williams’ offense. His ability to run is key to seeing minutes early.
Along with solid lateral quickness, Brooks possesses a smooth jumper and made 71% of his free throws during his high school career.
National Recruiting Analyst Andrew Slater spoke on Brooks in an interview with Inside Carolina:
"“Brooks can bring North Carolina quality rebounding on both ends. Defensively, he is an expert shot-blocker, while also being relatively strong enough to hold his position in the low-post.”"
Other than being a little on the light side, most of Brooks’ hinderances can be attributed to lack of polish.
Bold Prediction
It may already be bold enough to label him a starter for the season, but its also possible Brooks develops into a weapon by the season’s end.
My prediction for Brooks is 6.5 points per game and 5 rebounds with the potential to see higher outputs if he becomes “the guy” at center.
That may not seem like much, but those are very solid numbers for 15 minutes a game. This is also made more impressive by the fact he will be far down the pecking order in a UNC team loaded with weapons.
Next: UNC Basketball: Sterling Manley 2017-18 Season Preview
The future is bright for freshman Garrison Brooks as Roy Williams could have a 3-4 year starter on his hands.