UNC Basketball: Garrison Brooks named 2020-21 preseason All-American

UNC basketball power forward Garrison Brooks has been named a 2020-21 CBS Sports preseason All-American.

Garrison Brooks returns to North Carolina this season for his final year of college eligibility, and with him comes a tremendous amount of hype and expectations.

The 6-foot-9, 235-pound power forward was one of the lone bright spots on a North Carolina squad that went just 14-19 last season, struggling mightily with injuries and inconsistency from start to finish. He averaged career-bests in points (18.6) and rebounds (8.5), and was the Tar Heels’ most consistent presence on both ends of the court.

Brooks had already established himself as the team’s best defensive player, but after a dozen games of 20 or more points and a shooting percentage of 53.5 last season, he became the Tar Heels’ best bet on offense, too.

The folks over at CBS Sports have apparently taken notice, as they recently named Brooks to their 2020-21 preseason third team All-American squad. He’s joined by Kansas guard Marcus Garrett, Virginia’s Sam Hauser, Evan Mobley of USC and Kentucky’s BJ Boston. The team is made up of three seniors and two freshmen.

CBS Sports’ first team All-American selections are Baylor’s Jared Butler, Iowa’s Luka Garza, Ayo Dosunmu of Illinois, Oklahoma State freshman point guard Cade Cunningham and Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert. The second team includes Marcus Zegarowski of Creighton, Arizona State Sun Devil Remy Martin, Villanova’s Collin Gillespie and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and Trayce Jackson-Davis of the Indiana Hoosiers.

I’d expect to see Brooks on a lot more preseason lists as we inch closer to the start of the season in late November. He and the Tar Heels are looking for a big bounce-back season after returning one of the nation’s top front courts, and bringing in the No. 2-ranked 2020 recruiting class.

Stick with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on the UNC basketball program.