UNC Basketball: 10 most underappreciated Tar Heels of all-time
UNC basketball underappreciated Tar Heel No. 1: Garrison Brooks (2017-2021)
When Garrison Brooks arrived in Chapel Hill, he was a part-time starter who was asked to play a specific role. Roy Williams and company needed him to provide steady defense and rebounding and when the opportunity came, put the ball in the basket
Surrounded by some very good offensive players over his first two years on campus, such as Joel Berry, Coby White, Cam Johnson, and Luke Maye, North Carolina didn’t need Brooks to be a star on the offensive side of the floor. He got his offensive chances on occasion, mostly following offensive rebounds or by receiving lob passes near the rim, but he was never called upon to be a star during that time.
Heading into his junior season, that changed quickly.
Brooks went from being a role player to being the guy, especially with freshman phenom Cole Anthony missing significant time due to injury. His production took off, as he went on to lead the team in both points (16.8) and rebounds (8.5) per game.
His numbers dipped during his senior season, but that could be attributed to the Tar Heels absolutely re-loading with a six-player freshman class that featured two very talented big men in Day’Ron Sharpe and Walker Kessler (to add to the duo that Brooks and Armando Bacot had already formed).
Fans gave Brooks a lot of criticism for his production during his senior season, especially due to the fact that he was picked as the ACC Preseason Player of the Year. Brooks also finished out his UNC basketball career on two rather disappointing Tar Heels teams, which also plays a factor in how what he accomplished seems to be under-appreciated.
What fans should take away from Brooks’ UNC basketball career is this: Whether he was needed as a role player or as “the guy,” Brooks did whatever he had to in order to help the Tar Heels be successful.
Brooks wasn’t able to control injuries or other factors that coincided with the team’s struggles, and as “disappointing” as some may feel his senior season was, they should take a look at the bigger picture to see just what Brooks was able to accomplish, especially when all the pressure was essentially on his shoulders.
