Latest Bulldog Legacy Player Brooks Set For Final Home Game
March 01, 2022 | Men's Basketball, Joel Coleman
Bulldogs to honor veteran forward ahead of Wednesday game against Auburn.
STARKVILLE – It seems fitting for Garrison Brooks.
On Wednesday night, ahead of Mississippi State's 8 p.m. home game against No. 5 Auburn, the Bulldogs will recognize two players as part of Senior Night festivities. They'll honor guard Justin Rumph, who has been a part of the MSU program since 2019. And around the same time, Brooks will hear his name called inside of Humphrey Coliseum.
This is the same Hump that Brooks came to games in as a child as the son of George Brooks – the State assistant coach who also wore the Maroon and White as a player. Many of Garrison's earliest college basketball memories were of the Bulldogs.
And now, as Garrison Brooks' own collegiate playing career winds down, he'll be applauded inside the same building that somewhat served as the foundation for what he ultimately became.
It feels incredibly appropriate. Brooks spent the first four years of his career at North Carolina, from 2017 up until this year. But he transferred to MSU ahead of the 2021-22 season and now gets the chance to go out as a Bulldog. State head coach Ben Howland is incredibly glad things played out the way they did.
"He's done a great job for us this year," Howland said of Brooks. "He's just been Mr. Consistent, Mr. Solid. He just brings so much experience and intelligence and toughness. His ability to rebound and score on a consistent basis has been great. He's been a great leader both in the locker room and on the floor. He's really been great for our culture."
Brooks comes into Wednesday's contest as the Bulldogs' leading rebounder at 6.8 boards per game. He's third on the team in scoring, averaging 10.8 a contest. Brooks' 24 blocks are more than any other State player. He's been every bit the solid piece MSU was looking for when the Bulldogs brought Brooks to Starkville.
And oh, by the way, he's done it under less-than-ideal circumstances.
The plan coming into the year was for Brooks to play the four with Tolu Smith at the center position. Unfortunately, a variety of injuries and issues saw Smith in and out of the lineup this season, forcing Howland to juggle Brooks between the four and the five.
"I feel bad that he didn't get to play the entire year as the power forward," Howland said. "He kept going back and forth. That's hard to do, but he's handled it really well."
It probably didn't hurt that as Brooks managed it all he had the help of his father. Basketball aside, Garrison and George got to experience a win this season just being together.
"I think it was really special for them in particular," Howland said of the relationship.
Garrison got to be with his dad. His dad not only got to coach Garrison but got to see his son in the same uniform George wore himself years ago.
Howland knows how special that can be. After all, he's coached so many sons of former Bulldogs over the last seven years with names like Tyson Carter, Reggie Perry and Robert Woodard II among them. Now add Garrison to the bunch.
"I think it's really special for both the fathers and the sons," Howland said. "It's just special. Anybody that's ever played here or gone to school here, they love Mississippi State. The one thing that I feel about our alums since I've been here the last seven years is just how much pride there is and how much love there is for the university and the experience of going to school here. You see so many people giving back and it's amazing how they give back. I've been to other big-time universities, and I've never seen such generous folks. People love Mississippi State. Then when you talk about players that played here, that had that experience on top of going to school here, it's unbelievable. [The fathers] are all so proud to have sons that followed in their footsteps. The same is true for George. To have Garrison here and be able to coach him and be with him on a daily basis has been special for their father-son bond."
And with one home game left, a successful Wednesday night would make the experience all the better.
"We want to obviously go out on a high note," Howland said.
