Michigan freshman Phat Phat Brooks has bright future, but 'we need him this year'

Michigan freshman guard Phat Phat Brooks hasn’t appeared in a game since Dec. 29 against Western Kentucky, but the Maize and Blue may need him at some point, even as they chase championships down the stretch.

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound Brooks has appeared in 10 outings as a freshman, but only nine of his 42 minutes have come against high-major opponents. The Wolverines have a deep back court — led by juniors Tre Donaldson and Roddy Gayle Jr. and graduates Nimari Burnett and Rubin Jones — and Brooks hasn’t established himself in the rotation. Meanwhile, two other freshman guards, Justin Pippen and L.J. Cason, have received spot minutes.

Brooks still has a role in practice, though, and it’s important to the coaching staff that the Grand Rapids (Mich.) High Catholic Central product remains engaged.

‘He’s been really good on scout team,” Michigan head coach Dusty May said. “It’s tough when you’re out of the rotation to just continue putting that next foot forward and putting that hard hat on every day.”

The Wolverines may need him for more than just the scout team.

“We’ve had to challenge him a few days not to wait until next year,” May explained. “We need him this year. There’s gonna be a game when we’re gonna need him to come in and help us win a possession, help us win a couple possessions, and that’s the importance of being on a team.

“But also, he should be soaking it all in right now, what he’s learning from Tre Donaldson and Roddy and Rubin and these older, veteran guards that have been through the fires.

“We’re not big believers in, ‘Let’s wait until next year.’ Like, his job now is to compete right now at a championship level every single day at practice, and challenge those guys and make sure we’re holding them to a standard where they can’t just coast.”

As a signee in 2024, Brooks became the 12th Wolverine to earn Mr. Basketball honors in the state of Michigan.

Michigan finding ways to win close, even when shots aren’t falling

Michigan is shooting only 30.6 percent from three-point distance over the last eight games, after making double-digit threes in the six previous outings. However, the Wolverines are 7-1 in the last eight, finding different ways — and not always the same things on a given night — to take care of business.

Take Sunday’s 86-83 win over Ohio State, for example. Michigan shot a solid 7-of-21 from three-point range, but missed some really good looks, including two from Burnett that could’ve given them an eight-point lead late. However, they grabbed 19 offensive rebounds and limited turnovers to 12. The Wolverines took 7 more field goal attempts than the Buckeyes.

That allowed Michigan to push its win streak to six games — all of them by four points or fewer. There have been 32 Big Ten games decided by four points or fewer or in overtime, and Michigan has been involved in 10 of them, going 9-1.

“When we don’t make shots, we can still find a way to win,” May said of what he’s learned about his team. “And that’s been our message all year, that making the shots … we haven’t been shooting the ball well.

“I don’t have the stats in front of me, but I think we were 7-of-21 from three [against Ohio State], and we were extremely happy with the quality of looks. It wasn’t as if they were late shot clock, stepback 27-footers. We felt like we got great looks and we didn’t shoot it that well, and there were shots we would take every single day of the week. 

“The message has been that, when the shots go in, that just determines the margin of victory — we can separate. But the nights the shots aren’t falling, we can find ways to win, whether it’s through our defense, through rebounding, through whatever the case. 

“Last night, our bench stepped up, and then obviously down the stretch, [junior forward/center] Danny [Wolf] and Roddy made plays and [graduate center] Vlad[islav Goldin] came up with a couple huge offensive rebounds.

“So in this league, you’re gonna have to find different ways to win. Hopefully, we get back to where we’re banging in shots at a higher clip. But if we don’t, we’re gonna be very confident that we’re gonna find a way. We just don’t know what that way might be yet.”