With Eli Brooks gone, Terrance Williams II wants to step up as a leader
Next season, replacing Eli Brooks' leadership and experience will be no easy task for the Michigan basketball program. When you think about someone who has seen it all and experienced the highs and lows, Brooks is the quintessential example of what it means to be successful as a Wolverine.
Fortunately, the program won't be completely void of any leadership and there's always someone who will try and do his best to step up and learn from those who came before him.
For Terrance Williams II, who appeared on a recent episode of the Defend the Block podcast, Brooks' leadership skills went beyond the locker room.
He was also a calming influence on the court.
"Losing Eli was a big, big loss," Williams said. "Not just the leadership but also the way he played. The two-guard spot, on the offensive and defensive end, on the defensive end he guarded the best player. The best guard player every game. On the offensive end, he had to deal with a lot of ball pressure because he's brigning up the ball. He had to know the one and the two. He had to tell people where to go because he is the leader. Even though you're supposed to know, sometimes people have brain farts so he had to tell people where to go."
With Brooks' presence done, Williams is taking on the challenge of becoming a leader in the locker room head-on. Being older means a younger crop of players will be coming in looking for guidance.
The U-M coaching staff has challenged Williams to take on the role and run with it. It's something that Williams has responded well to.
"Losing (Brooks) is going to be very hard but I feel like I could step into this leadership role," Williams said. "Coach Howard has been talking about that to me a lot, Coach Saddi, a lot of coaches want me to step into a leadership role. I feel like I am capable and I am going to keep working at it throughout the entire spring and summer when people get on campus."
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