UNC Basketball: Garrison Brooks named to Wooden Award Watch List

Senior Garrison Brooks is the lone UNC Basketball player named to the Wooden Award Watch List ahead of the 2020-21 college basketball season

UNC Basketball forward Garrison Brooks is primed for a big year in 2020-21, coming off his best season yet as a junior.

Brooks was recently named the Atlantic Coast Conference Preseason Player of the Year for the upcoming season and is now earning some more national honors. On Tuesday, ahead of UNC’s third game of the season as they take on Stanford, Brooks was named to a big watch list.

The Wooden Award named their Top 50 preseason list and right there on it was Brooks:

The senior forward is the only North Carolina player that was named to the list which honors the best player in college basketball each season. It’s a stacked list with talented players and is headlined by favorite Luka Garza out of Iowa.

Brooks is coming off of a junior season in which he averaged 16.8 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2 assists while shooting 53 percent from the field. This year, through two games Brooks is averaging 10 points, 9 rebounds and 1 assist per game. However, he’s shooting just 34 percent from the field.

It’s no secret that Brooks will be one of the biggest keys for the Tar Heels’ success this season if they want to improve on their 14-19 record a year ago. The Tar Heels will also be very deep in the post with four guys that are capable of starting on this team, including two freshman.

Players that are not on the preseason watch list can still win the award as the list will trim as the year goes on.

For more on Brooks and other UNC Basketball players, please check back with Keeping It Heel.