Senior Spotlight: Garrison Brooks Life after UNC

A lot of people just know Garrison Brooks as a 6-foot-10 big man who dominates the boards and was a beast inside for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Off the court, Brooks is the man who loves movies, listens to old-school rap and hip-hop, and is a collector of art. Joe Tipton and I caught up with Brooks on the And-1 podcast. We reflected on his life at UNC and discussed his new life at Mississippi State.

The Grind

After finishing his third workout of the day, Brooks discussed his daily schedule. The day opens with 8:00 a.m. conditioning, which is followed by classes at 11:00 a.m. He then has a private training session at 1:30 p.m. prior to his 2:00 p.m. team practice. It was at 6:00 p.m. when he joined our Zoom meeting to record the podcast. After completing our podcast interview, he went back to the gym for his nightly routine where he gets up more shots. Brooks’ desire to improve and show he is better than what he showed last season is the reason for the packed schedule. He graded his efforts on the court a “C” last season. With such a rigorous schedule it’s hard to find hobbies, but in his spare time, Brooks loves to watch movies and tv shows.

“It honestly just depends on the mood I’m in,” Brooks said of what he likes to watch. “My top three right now are American Gangster, The Campaign, and Anchorman. Those three are in my heavy rotation right now.”

Tattoo Collection

Brook also dove into his own personal art collection in the form of his tattoos. Since a freshman at North Carolina, Brooks has been adding art to his body. Inspired by teammates Seventh Woods and Kenny Williams, he decided to get his first tattoo on his back. That Muhammad Ali tattoo that stretches along his back still remains his favorite.  He has been heavily inspired by Malcolm X as well and is impressed how both leaders were revolutionary in the Black Community.

“Both were looked at as rebels, but had a major impact. They were extremely courageous and believed in themselves when no one else did. That’s something I’ll always be able to respect.”

Since his freshman year, he has gained over 10 different tattoos, his most recent being his “1Love” tattoo that he and his brother both got together.

UNC Reflection

At North Carolina, Brooks had a solid career. He started in 105 out of 113 games with the Tar Heels, while averaging 10 points and six rebounds for his career. He scored over 1,300 points and grabbed over 800 rebounds. As a sophomore, Brooks helped the team win an ACC Championship. In his junior year, he was the ACC’s Most Improved Player. More importantly, he had a winning record against rival Duke in his four years with the Tar Heels program. With such an illustrious career at North Carolina, a lot of fans questioned why Brooks decided to transfer to Mississippi State when given an extra year of eligibility due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“It was honestly a tough decision,” Brooks said of his decision to transfer. “In the end, with Roy retiring, I just felt like it was the right decision for me. I gave Carolina basketball everything I had and it was time for me to move on.”

Mississippi State

Brooks was not the only transfer for Coach Ben Howland at Mississippi State. He was also joined by combo guard Shakeel Moore from N.C. State, small forward DJ Jeffries from Memphis, and point guard Rocket Watts from Michigan State.

“We have enough firepower to not only win the league but make a big run in the tournament,” Brooks said of Mississippi State. “My goal every year at Carolina was to win a national championship. I’m bringing the same goal to here at Mississippi State.”

National championship or not, there is no doubt Brooks has already had a great college career. He will need a great season this year to once again prove to NBA scouts that he has everything it takes to be drafted in 2022.