Keion Brooks Jr.'s consistency pushes Kentucky from very good to special

Consistency has been the name of the game with Keion Brooks Jr. since he first arrived in Lexington. His brief moments of brilliance over the course of three years have been clouded by long runs of up-and-down production, making it hard to predict which version of the athletic forward we’d see on any given night.

Lately, though, Brooks has not only produced at a high level, he’s done it consistently, averaging 16.8 points and 6.4 rebounds per game during Kentucky’s current five-game winning streak. He’s also shooting 53% from the field (31/59) during that stretch.

His brightest moment came in a 27-point performance at Kansas, a career-high in a blowout victory in one of the most hostile environments in college basketball. Maybe his best all-around performance, though, may have come Tuesday night in Kentucky’s 86-76 win at South Carolina. Brooks finished with 15 points on 6-9 shooting overall and 3-4 from the line to go with a season-high nine rebounds and five assists in 32 minutes.

He was efficient as a scorer, knocking down open jumpers and converting on easy baskets at the rim, but he also looked to distribute as a playmaker. Defensively, he was engaged and active. He also attacked the glass on both ends of the floor, securing the most rebounds he’s had in a game since last February (14 at Tennessee on 2/20/21).

There wasn’t a push to do too much or force the issue on either end. Instead, Brooks stayed within himself and played winning basketball. It’s a mindset that has allowed him to turn his spurts of potential into consistent production. He simply tries to lose himself within the game.

“First, I’ve got to thank God,” Brooks said Tuesday evening. “Still believing in him and the plan that he has for me. Then, my inner circle with my family, the guys I have around me, my teammates. Just going out and finding a way to be free every night, try to take all of your troubles and worries away. (I want to) set them aside for a little bit and get lost in the game. I feel like I’ve been doing a good job of that, just going out and losing myself in the game.”

Now in year three, he knows the expectations and what’s being asked of him in terms of on-court production and leadership. He’s the seasoned veteran who is going through the SEC gauntlet a third time in his career.

“Taking pride in being relied on, being a veteran on this team,” Brooks said. “I know some of the younger guys, they’re looking for some guidance at times. I don’t take that lightly. I’ve just been trying to stay steady and just be free. That helps me with my consistency.”

As Brooks’ play has ramped up, Kentucky’s team success has followed. That point has been driven even further in UK’s current five-game winning streak, one that has pushed the Wildcats to the top of the college basketball world. The team has been solid all season long, but consistency at the four spot has been a — for lack of a better term — consistent issue. It was the only position on the floor seen as a question mark.

With Brooks now playing the best basketball of his career in recent weeks, though, Kentucky has emerged as a clear national title contender. Following the team’s victory at South Carolina, UK is now seen as a potential one-seed in the NCAA Tournament, with the Wildcats also ranked No. 2 overall in the latest KenPom ratings.

Kentucky was already very good and has been most of the year. Brooks’ emergence and consistency, though, has allowed this team to reach a new territory of elite. It’s clearly a special group.

That growth is the direct result of Brooks choosing to take the road less traveled in Lexington, sticking around for a third season at UK as a former five-star recruit. Rather than entering the transfer portal or exploring his professional options this past offseason, Brooks made a “man’s decision.”

“What he’s doing and how he’s playing, the decision he made to come back was a man’s decision,” John Calipari said. “Someone else would have probably promised him the world — now, they may not have done it — but he made a man’s decision to come back. How he’s playing right now, that’s where he should be.”

And he’s not just doing it against no-name opponents with limited eyes watching. Brooks is playing at an elite level against the best of the best, for the best of the best, on the national stage.

“He’s doing it at Kentucky, in the high-level games, national television,” Calipari said. “The top six games on TV, three of them were Kentucky games. The top-10 rated games? Five of them were Kentucky games. That’s what playing at Kentucky is all about, that’s what it is. Playing for everything, not just playing. Playing in those elite games. It’s a different deal.

“I’m so proud of him.”

Kentucky could have been fine without Brooks breaking through this season, potentially even solid. With him playing at this level, though, the Wildcats are very difficult to beat. And with just seven games left in the regular season, that’s a scary thought.