Michigan freshman to be Eli Brooks will be on campus in just a few weeks … first he had to say goodbye to his hometown after earning one more honor.
Brooks won GameTimePA’s Athlete of the Year award June 4 after averaging 29.8 points and 12 rebounds per contest and shooting 84 percent from the free-throw line. He scored 901 points in his final season to become Spring Grove's all-time leading scorer and finished his career with 2,428 points, second all-time in York County boys' basketball history.
“I think people have taken to Eli because people in this community were always looking for something to be passionate about,” his father and coach, James Brooks, said in a heartwarming farewell video. “Before Eli came, people were saying it couldn’t be done, but through perseverance we won a county championship in basketball.
“They were looking for something to cheer for.”
And now they’ll cheer for him at Michigan, largely because of his relationship with their community. The younger brooks said treating people the right way and taking care of the young kids who looked up to him has always been a priority.
“Saying goodbye to Spring Grove is going to be hard,” he said. “My dad has been my basketball coach for 10 years now. I learned so much from him …”
His dad got choked up at the thought of his son moving on, but he will continue to serve as head coach.
“I’m proud to be your dad,” James Brooks said. “You’ve taken our community to a place it hasn’t ever seen.”
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