The standout from UNC basketball, Garrison Brooks, has decided to enter the transfer portal.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NCAA decided to give winter sports athletes an extra year of collegial terms of use. In addition, with the new one-time transfer rule, student-athletes have a rare chance of finding a new home while not having to put out a full year of competition.
Even before the university basketball season ended, the transfer portal was absolutely crazy. Thousands of student-athletes have explored other options, and the portal continues to add new athletes to the day.
According to Matt Denitz of AL.com, the UNC basketball program is on the verge of losing another key player.
Learned that North Carolina basketball forward Garrison Brooks, a native of Alabama and a product of Auburn High School, has entered the transfer portal. Was a four-year starter at UNC and was a second-team All-ACC in 2019-20.
Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) 10 April 2021
On Twitter, Denitz reported that senior Garrison Brooks has entered the transfer portal. Brooks will become the third Tar Heel to enter the transfer portal, after the big men Walker Kessler and Sterling Manley.
At this point, it appears that Brooks’ time in Chapel Hill is officially over. With the appointment of Hubert Davis as the Tar Heels new basketball coach for men, there were rumors that Brooks could return for his ‘super senior’ season. However, since Davis is so determined to bring Kessler back, it could be that Brooks is merely the stranger in the team’s future comparison.
No matter where he ended up, Brooks had a tremendous career as a member of the UNC basketball program. As an appetizer for most of his four years on campus, Brooks joined the famed 1,000-pointer club as he scored 1,276 points.
While the heel of the tar was loaded on offense during the first two seasons, Brooks had a solid presence, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Brooks is appealing to an attacking force, and he was certainly up for the challenge.
During the 2019-2020 season, Brooks averaged 16.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Although the Tar Heels struggled as a unit, Brooks was certainly an important bright spot as he won the second team All-ACC award.
Although his numbers (and minutes) declined during his senior season, Brooks was still a solid contributor, serving as an important leader for the young Tar Heels group. The program improved over the disappointing previous year, and Brooks was one of the key figures who helped lead the turnaround.
With another year to go, many teams should be interested in Brooks’ services. It will be interesting to see where the native of Lafayette, AL decides to end his collegiate career.
No matter where he ends up, Tar Heels fans should wish the best for Garrison Brooks. Throughout his collegiate career, Brooks has been a tremendous representative of the program, as well as out of court. Wherever life takes him, expect great things from Garrison Brooks.
Follow the Keeping It Heel team for all the latest news on Garrison Brooks and the UNC basketball program.