Keion Brooks Jr. drops back-to-back 20-point games for first time at Kentucky

Keion Brooks Jr. just accomplished something he’d never done up until this point in his Kentucky career.

On Wednesday night, the junior forward dropped 20 points against the Vanderbilt Commodores inside of Rupp Arena, marking the first time as a Wildcat that he’s scored at least 20 points in back-to-back games. Brooks famously poured in a career-high 27 points in UK’s win over the weekend against the then-No. 5 Kansas Jayhawks. This is all part of a three-game stretch where he’s been playing arguably the best basketball of his life.

Last two games for @KeionB_12:

at Kansas – 27 PTS, 8 REB
vs. Vandy – 20 PTS, 4 REB

Putting in work 😤 pic.twitter.com/kJiDib5eHB

— Kentucky Men’s Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) February 3, 2022

Brooks’ efforts were a major reason why Kentucky was able to fend off a physical Vandy squad down the stretch, helping UK secure a 77-70 victory. It was certainly a battle between the two teams, as well, with 44 total fouls called and multiple flagrant fouls dished out.

“It was just one of those games where it was physical and we got pushed around a little bit in some areas and some spots,” Brooks said postgame. “But we gotta look at the film and hash that away because we don’t want other teams coming in and thinking they can push around.”

Against Vandy, Brooks’ 20 points came as they typically have throughout the season: popping inside the arc for mid-range jumpers and by attacking the rim. It was actually a tale of two halves for the 6-foot-7 native of Fort Wayne, IN, who struggled a bit with his shot in the first half. Brooks was missing the shots he made half-a-dozen times against Kansas but was able to hit his stride in the second half.

A 2-7 start from the field turned into a 5-8 finish. Brooks closed the night shooting 7-15 overall to reach his 20 points, knocking down six of his eight free-throw attempts, too. He added four rebounds, two assists, and one block in his 33 minutes of action. For the second game in a row, his production came mostly in the second half when UK needed it the most.

“Wow, and they were all big. He made three jumpers that were huge,” UK head coach John Calipari said of Brooks postgame. “The one as the clock expired, the dunk I told him, look you wanted to make something hard instead of making an easy play because you might miss it. It’s all that mentality that we just gotta keep on holding him accountable. But I’m saying this. He has been so much better.”

Playing the role of Kentucky’s fifth-option on offense, Brooks isn’t expected to drop 20 points on a consistent basis, but every time he does it increases this team’s ceiling. Lately, he’s been in a different type of groove. Even before these two recent offensive explosions from Brooks, he was bracing himself for this sort of stretch. He went for 12 points and six rebounds on 5-10 shooting in the game prior to Kansas against Mississippi State.

On the season, Brooks is averaging 11.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per contest on 49.0 percent shooting. But over the last three games, those numbers have seen a stark jump: 19.7 points and 6.0 rebounds on 51.2 percent shooting (17-20 from the free-throw line) in over 30 minutes per game. It’s probably no coincidence that Kentucky is 3-0 during that span, too.

The biggest development for Brooks has been his consistency, though. Despite his impressive showing on the road against Kansas, he didn’t let it get to his head. Sure, he wasn’t hitting his shots in the first half against Vanderbilt, but he sure did hit them down the stretch. His confidence is at all an all-time high and it’s leading to positive results across a full 40-minute game.

“I’m really proud of him,” Calipari added. “Like I said prior to the game, don’t try to live up — I don’t want the weight of the world on you again. You just play, just play! You don’t have to make every shot. You’re gonna miss some, just play. Get the weight of the world, get it off you. You just be a great player and enjoy this team. And he is, he has a smile on his face.”

With every made jump shot for Brooks, the weight Calipari referenced gets a little bit lighter. If Kentucky’s fifth-best offensive option is constantly on the brink of popping off for 20 — or even 15 points — on any given night, there’s no reason to believe this team can’t make a deep run in March.