Garrison Brooks' 5 Best Games This Season

Garrison Brooks turned himself into one of the ACC’s best player during the course of this past season. Perhaps no player in the league improved more than Brooks from the opener in early November to the final game.

He pulled his game away from the basket adding mid-range jumpers (he even hit two 3-pointers), showed he could create shots for himself posting up defenders on the lower blocks but also outside the lane, using drop steps and spin moves setting up jump hooks, layups squared to the basket and soft finger rolls just over the rim.

The 6-foot-9 junior also led the Tar Heels in rebounds, played 167 more minutes than any of his teammates, and finished the season second-team All-ACC. His final stats: 16.8 points and 8.5 rebounds.

Brooks converted 53.5 percent of his field goal attempts and was 64.1 percent from the free throw line, though he was 49-for-61 (80.3 percent) over his last six games. In fact, Brooks netted 20 or more pints 11 times, but 10 of those efforts came in his last 18 games, a period in which he averaged 19.9 points per contest.

He scored 30 or more points twice, with a career-high 35 in a loss to Georgia Tech. Thirteen times he pulled down 10 or more rebounds and Brooks tallied 12 double-doubles.

As we continue putting a bow on the just completed 14-19 season for the Tar Heels, here is a look at Brooks’ five best games from this past season along with some perspective:

At Syracuse, 92-79 win: 37 minutes, 26 points (9-14 FGs, 8-8 FTs), 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 turnovers, 2 blocked shots.

Georgia Tech, 96-83 loss: 36 minutes, 35 points (9-18 FGs, 17-18 FTs), 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 turnover, 1 steal.

N.C. State, 85-79 win: 37 minutes, 30 points (8-15 FGs, 14-16 FTs), 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 turnovers.

At N.C. State, 75-65 win: 38 minutes, 25 points (11-20 FGs, 3-5 FTs), 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 turnovers.

At Virginia Tech, 79-77 loss: 48 minutes (2 OTs), 28 points (11-18 FGs, 6-8 FTs), 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 turnovers.

There were some nights when Brooks simply owned the paint. His highest scoring game came against one of the best defensive bigs in the league (James Banks) and also had a 26-point game at Duke battling Vernon Carey. He revealed the range in his game as his confidence clearly grew, which was reflected in Brooks hitting the majority of his free throws over the final six contests.

Brooks’ game exploded, his leadership grew and he ended up posting awfully impressive numbers when compared to some of Carolina’s best big men of late. He has plenty of room for his game to grow before he joins that club for good, but if this season is any indication, Brooks will creep closer next winter.