In Eli Brooks, Michigan has a steady hand
Over the last three years, almost everything about the Michigan basketball team’s backcourt has changed.
The coaching transition from John Beilein to Juwan Howard brought philosophical differences in 2019. Howard and his staff quickly implemented a pro-style, ball screen-heavy offense, putting more responsibilities in the hands of the Wolverines’ guards. Between Zavier Simpson, Columbia graduate transfer Mike Smith and Coastal Carolina graduate transfer DeVante’ Jones, Michigan has committed to a different starting point guard in each of Howard’s first three seasons.
But in the face of all the Wolverines’ adjustments, they’ve had a steady hand in fifth-year senior Eli Brooks. Now 23 years old and pursuing a master’s degree in social work, Brooks is the lone holdover from the 2018 Final Four team. And after losing 20 seasons’ worth of college basketball experience from last year’s rotation, Michigan is going to rely on Brooks to fill the void.
“The rest of the team looks to him as a big brother,” sophomore center Hunter Dickinson said at Big Ten Media Day. “Eli is a really smart basketball player. He’s another coach out there on the floor. Last season, we had a ton of experience and a ton of leaders. This season, it’s pretty obvious who our leader is and who we look to for guidance when we need help with anything. Eli is going to be that guy for us this year, and we’re all going to lean on him for experience and leadership.”
Through the first few weeks of preseason practices, the Wolverines’ veteran is answering the call.
“I’m the old man of the team. I feel like Austin (Davis) now because I was making fun of him last year,” Brooks said at Michigan Media Day. “It’s fun to be in this position, being able to teach the young guys and help them grow as individuals and players. Just sitting down, giving them the experiences I’ve been through and helping them find their way.”
The program’s transformation during Brooks’s career has forced him to evolve. He began his career primarily as a backup point guard before shifting into a new role off the ball. There, he’s established himself as one of the Big Ten’s best perimeter defenders and a catch-and-shoot threat at the offensive end.
Nicknamed “The Professor” for his basketball IQ, Brooks averaged 9.5 points and 3.1 assists while shooting a career-high 39.6% from beyond the arc last season. More importantly, though, he served as a bridge between the three-year Simpson era and what’s next. With Howard fishing Smith and Jones out of the transfer portal as one-year stop gaps, one could argue Brooks has held the keys to Michigan’s backcourt the entire time.
Still, developing new chemistry with three point guards in as many years proved challenging. This past summer, Brooks found himself back at square one when Jones committed to the Wolverines and moved to Ann Arbor.
“You get to know people through conversations, so just having sitdown conversations with him, getting to know him outside basketball has been good,” Brooks said. “I think that helps with the chemistry on the court so far. He’s a really likeable person, so it’s easy to get to know him. He’s a great addition to this team.”
With Jones and Brooks now up to speed, Michigan’s backcourt has its sights set on the Nov. 10 season-opener against Buffalo. It could be the beginning of a special season for Brooks, who’s only three victories away from becoming the program’s all-time winningest player (108 games) and needs just 22 appearances this year to set the Wolverines’ record (146).
But in the long run, his attention is on even loftier goals.
“I have a lot of experience and I’ve done pretty much everything I’ve wanted to do besides win a national championship,” Brooks said. “That’s what brought me back, to win a national championship.”