Since graduating from St. Frances in 2003, basketball has taken Derrick Brooks all over the country.
The 5-foot-10 point guard -- best known for his contributions to Douglass' 28-0 Class 3A state championship team in 2002 -- spent his freshman year at Blinn College in Texas, his sophomore season at Hamilton College in Lincoln, Neb., and his junior campaign at Lambuth University in Jackson, Tenn.
Now a senior at Kuyper College in Grand Rapids, Mich., Brooks has finally found a school he can call home. The Baltimore native has quickly emerged as the Cougars' top player, recording 24.5 points, 4.2 assists and 4.2 steals per game.
Before Christmas break, Brooks was named the National Christian College Athletic Association Player of the Week.
"In that one week, he was averaging right around 30 points per game," said Kuyper coach Stan Jesky. "He's just been a godsend for us. ... He's got this unbelievable quickness -- that's his strength. He'll stutter-step and leave you glued to the floor. ... Sometimes [his teammates] get caught up just marveling at him and forget he's passing them the ball."
Brooks -- who started his high school career at St. Frances, spent his junior year at Douglass and returned to the Panthers as a senior -- broke his ankle at Lambuth and decided to return home to Baltimore. He took a year off from school but decided last summer that it was time to give basketball one more shot.
"I was e-mailing a lot of different coaches," Brooks said. "[Kuyper was] one of the schools that was interested in me. So I just decided to come. I was going to make the best out of every situation. I knew my game was going to succeed on [its] own. ... I didn't care about the recruiting process or the area. I just wanted to try something new."
Brooks is the only player from outside the Midwest on the Cougars' roster, but the change of scenery has been a blessing. He is majoring in business and hopes to continue his basketball career overseas after finishing his degree.
For now, Brooks is focused on finishing up strong with Kuyper. The Cougars are 5-13 overall -- thanks to a challenging nonconference schedule that featured several NAIA foes -- but 3-1 in conference play.
On Tuesday, Brooks had the best game of his Kuyper career. He recorded a triple double, scoring a school-record 43 points to go along with 12 rebounds, 10 assists and six steals to lead the Cougars to an 82-74 win over Indiana University Northwest.
"It's amazing the things he does with the basketball," Jesky said. "He has been better than advertised."
Photo of Derrick Brooks courtesy of the Kuyper College athletic department.
