Life Comes Full Circle For The Brooks Family
October 20, 2021 | Men's Basketball, Joel Coleman
After growing up a Bulldog, Garrison Brooks now closing out his college hoops career in Maroon and White.
STARKVILLE – Garrison Brooks looked like a natural in the Maroon and White.
It was team photo day for Mississippi State earlier this month. For one of the first times since transferring to MSU from North Carolina following last season, Brooks was in his full Bulldog uniform. It'd been awhile, but this was far from the first time Brooks had sported those State colors.
Brooks is the son of MSU assistant coach George Brooks. George has a photo of a young Garrison at a Bulldog basketball camp taken about a decade ago. In the background stands George. At the front, a young Garrison smiles as he sports a Mississippi State T-shirt with the left arm of former State head coach Rick Stansbury wrapped around him.
When told of the picture, Garrison tried to decipher his age.
"Did my dad look slim?" Garrison asked. "Let's see, I'm 22 now. So I had to be like eight. I had to be eight or 10 years old for him to be slim."
The quip brought laughter from those around Garrison. It showed his quick wit, a quality he shares with his father. And now, they once again get to share a Bulldog bond again too.
"Life does come full circle sometimes," Garrison said.
Growing Up With Maroon Memories
Anyone who knows George knows he's Mr. Bulldog. He played at MSU in the early 1990s and then was a student assistant coach for State in 1996, both under Richard Williams. Then after 13 years at Meridian Community College – first as an assistant, then as a head coach – George returned to Mississippi State as an assistant in 2011.
George is now the third-longest tenured assistant coach in MSU history. He's had the opportunity to serve under Stansbury, Rick Ray and Ben Howland in that span.
"He's the definition of a guy that loves Mississippi State," Garrison said of his father. "I saw it growing up and realized how much my dad loves this place. It's easy to see that the people here love him too. It's a beautiful relationship to watch and see someone play here, graduate here, and then have the chance to coach here."
Some of George's attachment to MSU couldn't help but trickle down to Garrison in Garrison's youth.
"He came to camps and [Rick Ray] let him travel with us when [Garrison] was younger," George said. "He came to football games and basketball games. He always knew my feelings on the university."
Garrison still treasures some of his earliest MSU memories.
"I might mix up the years, but I remember MSU playing Auburn in 2007 or 2008," Garrison said. "I got to go to the locker room and meet Charles Rhodes and Jamont Gordon. That was awesome and really cool as a little kid. I knew Coach Stansbury [and his sons] Isaac and Noah, so that's always been a really cool thing. I used to come to camp here every couple of years and I'll always remember that too."
As Garrison grew up and became one of the country's top high school basketball players, he originally planned to suit up for the Bulldog program he'd spent some of his childhood around. Life situations dictated that plans change however, so Garrison instead ended up at North Carolina.
Making A Name At UNC
Garrison wasted little time in making a name for himself with the Tar Heels.
As a freshman in 2017-18, he averaged 14.6 minutes of action per game, the most of all of North Carolina's non-starters. Garrison's career took off from there.
He was a full-time starter at center his sophomore season and led the team in field goal percentage. The following year, he was tabbed the ACC's Most Improved Player as he averaged nearly a double-double with 16.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.
Last season, Garrison had another strong year as he became one of North Carolina's Top 50 career scorers of all time and rose to No. 21 on the school's all-time rebounding list.
It was a period that Garrison will always treasure.
"After being at North Carolina for four years, I learned how to play with great players," Garrison said. "You see that great players sacrifice things, and that you can all succeed individually while still winning games. Everybody can get what they want and what they dream of and that's been my biggest takeaway."
Garrison could've stuck around for a fifth year at UNC. The COVID-19 pandemic led to last season not counting against players' eligibilities.
Instead of remaining a Tar Heel, Garrison had other plans.
Putting Back On Maroon and White
Garrison entered the transfer portal. A familiar face that'd been interested in Garrison long ago was still right there ready to take him in.
"[MSU head coach Ben Howland] ended up opening his arms saying, 'You can come back here and play for one year,'" Garrison said.
From there, it all happened quickly. Garrison was putting back on the colors he was so familiar with as a child.
"[By coming to MSU] I knew I would be getting a great opportunity with a great coach and great pieces," Garrison said. "A bigger piece of me coming here was knowing I'd get to play with [fellow transfers] DJ [Jeffries], Rocket [Watts] and Shakeel [Moore], so I think that is going to be a good thing for me."
And yes, of course, there's the George factor as well.
"I think we all know that had an impact," Garrison said. "I enjoy being around him every day. He gets the best out of me in a way that no other coach does. Plus, I'm close to my family and I can drive home to see my mom and grandparents. That's a great thing for me personally."
Coach Brooks And Garrison
Now there is one caveat to Garrison playing for his dad. Inside the gym, George isn't playing the role of father.
Circumstances like these aren't new to the Brooks family. It's just a new generation getting to experience it.
George's mother was an elementary school teacher.
"She taught me and I remember what my grandad said," George recalled. "He said that when you go to class, it's no more, 'Mama', it's 'Mrs. Brooks.'"
So, now says Garrison: "When I walk in the practice gym, there's no, 'How are you doing son?' It's, 'Garrison, get in here and get ready to work.' That's fine. I don't have a problem with that. It's Coach Brooks from Meridian when I step in here."
There's no special treatment. On the basketball court, Garrison isn't – nor does he expect to be – treated differently than his teammates.
"It's not the first time our family has been in this situation and I think Garrison has a better chance of understanding me than I did when I was getting yelled at [by my mother] in kindergarten," George said.
It Feels Good
Despite putting up barriers in the gym, make no mistake, it's a special time for both Garrison and George.
"It's neat," George admits. "In the past, I wasn't around every day and now, I get to be around [Garrison] every day and watch him grow and play."
The feeling is mutual. Years since the old camp picture was taken with a slimmer George and a shorter Garrison, here the two are on campus together as one yet again. Sometimes it's as father and son. Other times it's as coach and player.
Either way, life has indeed come full circle.
"I'm back in my favorite number [10] and I've got Brooks on my back," Garrison said. "It feels good."
