From defender, to one of the top scorers in the ACC, Garrison Brooks is carrying UNC
N.C. State knew who the ball was going to on Monday, but even then it couldn’t stop North Carolina forward Garrison Brooks.
The 6-9, 235-pound junior scored a game-high 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in the Tar Heels’ 75-65 win over the Wolfpack. It was their second consecutive win after going 0-5 through the first five games this month. Brooks was 11 of 20 from the floor.
The Tar Heels would not have won had it not been for players like Christian Keeling and Justin Pierce, who between them, went on a 7-2 run after the Wolfpack had cut the lead to three points midway through the second half.
But Brooks has put the Tar Heels (10-10, 3-6 ACC) on his back since Cole Anthony has been out this past month, and he did so again against N.C. State.
“Me being aggressive makes my team better and that’s what I try to do,” Brooks said after the game Monday, while wearing a black Pittsburgh Steelers Jerome Bettis jersey.
Brooks is currently averaging 15.6 points per game, ninth-best in the ACC; 9.3 rebounds, third-best; and is shooting 54.2 percent from the floor, second-best in the conference.
When asked Monday was there another big man in the ACC playing as well as Brooks, Williams said he didn’t think so.
“He’s carrying us right now,” Williams said.
When the news broke last month that UNC would be without Cole Anthony for at least a month as he recovered from a knee procedure, Brooks said he knew he had to be more aggressive. Up until that point he hadn’t, despite being the Tar Heels’ highest returning scorer from the previous year’s team at 7.9 points per game.
In the nine games with Anthony, Brooks was averaging 11.5 points per game, and was averaging just eight shots.
But in the 11 games without Anthony, Brooks is averaging 18.9 points per game. He also has a double-double in seven of his past eight games.
And in the last two games, the Tar Heels have finally won with Brooks as the leading man.
Something to celebrate
Prior to last Saturday’s 94-71 win over Miami, the Tar Heels were trending down. They had lost their first five games in January, and were suddenly two games under .500.
That had never happened in any of the 17 seasons since Williams had become head coach at UNC.
The Tar Heels looked like a team that had reached rock bottom, and especially after their 66-52 loss to Pitt on the road on Jan. 18. In the first half of that game, they had barely put up a fight. The Tar Heels trailed by 20 points at halftime
But over the last three games, the Tar Heels appear as if they have turned a corner. They’ve won their last two games, including the win over N.C. State on Monday — one that, for now, will go down as a Quadrant 1 win.
For the Tar Heels, that’s huge, because up until that point, they did not have much to celebrate. They had lost the games they were supposed to win while Anthony was out.
“A couple of those losses we definitely could have won by 10 or 15-plus,” UNC guard Leaky Black said. “We just had to get comfortable playing with each other.”
The Tar Heels have used seven different starting lineups in the first 20 games this season. And at times, they have looked sporadic. But the Tar Heels played Monday as if they had nothing to lose. They led the Wolfpack at halftime by four points, and never relinquished the lead.
“We’re playing with confidence. I think that’s the biggest thing for us,” Brooks said. “Just doing what we were able to do and playing together. We were sharing the ball a lot and I think it’s great.”
UNC and N.C. State (14-7, 5-5) entered their game on opposite ends. The Tar Heels had struggled in January, while the Wolfpack had almost been a sure pick for the NCAA tournament.
Yet, UNC freshman forward Armando Bacot said the Tar Heels went into their game with confidence.
“We felt like we were just a tougher team and we just knew we could take advantage inside,” said Bacot who finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds. “And we knew we could defend them good, so I don’t think it was much of a surprise that we were going to win.
“I just felt like we were more battle-tested than them.”
A big responsibility
In his first comments to the media in more than a month, Anthony said he was close to 100 percent and was just waiting for the trainers to clear him.
With his return imminent, it helps that Brooks is playing well.
After the season-opener when Anthony scored 34 points, the biggest question was who would step up when Anthony was having an off night or if he’d be out.
The Tar Heels have found that answer in Brooks, who continues to carry this team.
When Anthony does return, there won’t be nearly as much pressure for him to score as it was previously.
“I think it’s a big responsibility, but I think it’s lot of fun also,” Brooks said. “I’ve tried to convince our guys just to have fun. Just regardless. It’s a game, but still, we’re competing and trying to be the best.
“I think we’re going to really get better the next couple of weeks and we’re going to show people that we’re going to win games.”
As long as Brooks is playing this well too, the Tar Heels have shown recently that winning is possible.
This story was originally published January 28, 2020 at 10:31 AM.
