At the beginning of each new year, Phenom Hoops works to assemble a series of articles centered around unsigned senior prospects. Last season, over one hundred players from North Carolina went on to play at the Division I, II, III or NAIA levels, and that number looks likely to continue increasing with the current senior class. Typically, we take a closer look at guys who are overlooked and underrated, and today’s edition will highlight Kaleb Brooks of Wesleyan Christian and Garner Road.
With how basketball has trended over the past decade, players with a combination of size, skill, and versatility have become as valuable as ever, which is why Brooks should be a hot commodity during this recruiting period. He’s a big, strong-bodied forward that can pass, dribble, rebound, post-up, spot-up, and create his own shot. That alone should have programs more than intrigued. Add in his unselfishness and ability to maximize his role within a team setting, and he only becomes more valuable. Brooks is fairly skilled, particularly for his size, and understands how to effectively exploit mismatches against smaller guards and slower big men. He and Josh Wiggins were the veteran leaders for a Wesleyan Christian team that was better than many people expected. Brooks displays a quality feel for the game and simply knows when to defer versus step up and take over.
We were able to see Brooks perform multiple times with Wesleyan Christian this past season, including their second-round playoff matchup against Ravenscroft, where we stated: “It was somewhat a tale of two halves for Brooks, as he piled on majority of his non-scoring stats in the first half and then began applying scoring pressure throughout the second half. Like Phillips, Brooks is extremely tough to contain when knocking down three-pointers—as it opens up his entire offensive arsenal. He took guys off the dribble, owned the glass, scored inside and out, and displayed quality playmaking instincts. Although already talented, Brooks is the type of player that will only continue to trend upward going forward.”
It’s genuinely surprising that Brooks doesn’t have more action going on within his recruitment, given his modernized skillset and ability to play inside or out. He’s the type of guy that could actually be better at the next level with a more clearly defined role and additional space on the court—making him an even tougher offensive threat. Right now, Brooks holds a lone offer from Erskine. That should change over the coming months, as he should become more and more enticing to all types of college coaches. Only time will tell but Brooks has all the tools to be successful wherever he should end up furthering his career as a student-athlete.