White and Blue Review can confirm that Iowa Western lead guard Devin Brooks will be the 4th member of the Creighton 2013 recruiting class. Brooks, a 6’2” guard, will join wing Darian Harris and front court players Toby Hegner and Zach Hanson in Creighton’s 2013 recruiting class.
In 35 games with the Reivers Brooks led the team averaging 15.9 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 5.6 apg, 1.8 spg while shooting 32% from behind the arc and 77% from the line. Most impressively Brooks led Iowa Western all the way to Hutchinson, Kansas and into the Quarter-Finals of the NJCAA championships.
Brooks at St. Raymond’s (photo courtesy of: NY Post)
Creighton was able to see plenty of Devin during his year with Iowa Western. The staff love his ability to create his own shot as well as get into the paint and create easy baskets for others. Devin was hampered by a slight injury to his right wrist in February. He continued conference play by dribbling, passing and sometimes shooting with his other hand, and was still very impressive. Creighton has been targeting a lead guard to provide instant help to Austin Chatman. The staff believe Austin is most effective when getting more of a break than just during time-outs. Brooks can also play along side Chatman to form a dynamic and crafty backcourt. Brooks will also bring a hard-nosed high-intensity attitude to a roster that outside of Chapel Hill, NC was often labelled “soft.”
Brooks’ stellar play this season drew the attention from a number of mid-major and high-major programs. Along with Creighton, Illinois State, Southern Illinois, Seton Hall, Duquesne, Arkansas, Missouri, Murray State and Auburn were hot on the 6’2” guards trial. I was told by a number of different sources that Brooks’ recruitment was very reminiscent of the 2011 NJCAA Player of the Year Pierre Jackson, in that the more teams saw Brooks’ play the schools made him a recruiting priority.
Brooks, originally from New York City’s famed St. Raymond’s high school, was being recruited by St. John’s, Florida, Florida State, Georgia Tech, UMASS, Virginia, and Virginia Tech, before finally signing with Iowa Western. Creighton has made it clear that recruiting the East coast will be a priority moving forward in the Big East, and Brooks’ commitment is a signal that the Jays will begin to focus hard on the NYC area. While this area might seem alien to most seasoned Jays fans, many of the coaches on staff have long held recruiting ties within NYC. Look for Creighton to start really making a splash in this scene.
Brooks at Iowa Western (photo courtesy of: The Gazette)
Follow Devin on twitter @Devdakid2313