We are profiling each member of the 2013-14 Creighton Bluejays men’s basketball team. Check in daily leading up to Creighton’s regular season opener against Alcorn State Nov. 8 for an introduction to this season’s Bluejays, from newcomers to seniors. Check out all the previews here.
Devin Brooks (#5 / G / 6-2 / 175 lbs / Jr.)
Along with the excitement surrounding Creighton’s quick ascension last spring from Missouri Valley Conference champion to new member of the Big East Conference came plenty of caution. Could the recruiting efforts by Greg McDermott and his staff match the demand for the type of high-major guard play needed to compete with programs like Georgetown, Marquette, and Xavier year in and year out? Without the lame duck year between accepting an invite to the new league and actually leaving for those new digs, the Jays coaches would need to find short-term fixes to what will become an annual need.
That’s where Devin Brooks comes in. The third-team All-American guard from Iowa Western Community College signed with CU, he told reporters this spring, because of the Bluejays’ new conference affiliation, among other reasons. The native of Harlem will have many times to play in and around his hometown. He also has a chance to provide talent and ability instantly to a team looking for as many playmakers as possible in the backcourt.
Brooks can do everything. He led the Reivers in scoring, rebounding, and assists last season. During his two seasons at Iowa Western, he became the program’s all-time assists leader and No. 5 on the all-time scoring list.
Oh, but the rebounding. The 6-2 Brooks averaged 6.6 rebounds a game last season and 6.2 caroms per contest in his first year at IWCC. When was the last time the Jays had a lead guard who put up those kinds of numbers? At 6-5, Grant Gibbs probably doesn’t count, although he averaged 4.1 rpg last season and 4.5 rpg in 2011-2012. Justin Carter (6.5 rpg as a senior and 5.5 rpg as a junior) was listed at 6-4 while Nate Funk (5.1 rpg as a junior, 3.5 rpg as a senior) and Nick Porter (4.9 rpg as a junior, 5.6 rpg as a senior) were both listed at 6-3.
You know who was 6-2 and could crash the boards? Ben Walker. Sure, he had 25 pounds on Brooks’ listed weight of 6-2, but man Walker could hit the glass (4.2 rpg as a freshman, 4.9 rpg as a sophomore, 6.3 rpg his junior and senior seasons).
Does Brooks need to slide in and be Ben Walker? No. That’s asking a lot. Walker, alongside Ryan Sears, was the heart and soul of some outstanding Creighton teams. But can the dynamic guard come into his first season as a Bluejay and offer a dose of athleticism that can help Creighton adjust to Big East backcourts? Let’s hope so.
Here’s what Max Univers had to say about Brooks after watching the guard during the Bluejay Madness event on Oct. 25.
Devin Brooks comes in with a reputation as a flashy, lightning-quick guard that can get to the rim, but it was the other skills he showed Friday that could make him a player that gets significant minutes. He crashed the boards with aggression — he’s fearless amongst the trees — and his court vision was much better than I expected. Combined with the skills he showed in summer league — a super-quick first step and a knack for shaking defenders — Brooks also never appeared to be playing out of control (think Andre Yates or Cavel Witter, who tended to dribble or shoot themselves into trouble an awful lot).
We caught up with Brooks at Creighton’s Media Day: