Pierre Brooks II headed to transfer portal
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Pierre Brooks II is leaving Michigan State basketball.
Less than a week after the Spartans’ season ended in the Sweet 16, the 2021 Michigan Mr. Basketball winner and Detroit native announced via Instagram he plans to enter the transfer portal. His father, Pierre Brooks Sr., confirmed the decision with the Free Press.
“I would love to thank MSU for the opportunity to be on an amazing program these last two years. I have built a long-lasting relationship with my teammates, coaches, and fans, and I will always be grateful,” the younger Brooks said in a statement to On3.com. “Spartan nation, I am thankful for everything that you guys have done and all the support that you have given me through these past 2 years. I want to also thank Coach Izzo for taking a chance on me and giving me the opportunity to play for this amazing university.
“With all of this being said, it is time for me to start a new chapter of my career.”
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The 6-foot-6, 225-pound sophomore swingman from Detroit Douglass became an important cog in Tom Izzo’s rotation early in the 2022-23 season, particularly after both Malik Hall and Jaden Akins went down with injuries in mid-November. Brooks averaged 6.8 points in 22 minutes over MSU’s first 13 games, making 39.2% of his 3-pointers in that span. In a five-game starting stretch, he played 31 minutes and scored 9.4 points with 4.0 rebounds and an assist, hitting 5 of 11 from beyond the arc.
But after the New Year, with the return of both Hall and Akins, Brooks’ minutes and shooting steeply declined. He averaged just eight minutes a game over the Spartans’ final 16 regular-season games, posting 1.3 points and 0.8 rebounds while making just 17.4% of his 3-point attempts and shooting 22.6% overall. Brooks did not play in the NCAA tournament after getting four minutes in MSU’s Big Ten tournament loss to Ohio State. He missed his only two shots and did not grab a rebound while getting just 18 total minutes in his final five games as a Spartan.
Brooks finished the season averaging 3.6 points and 1.7 rebounds in 14.3 minutes a game, making 33.3% of his shots overall and 32.4% from 3-point range.
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That opens up one scholarship for MSU, which has four freshmen — Xavier Booker, Jeremy Fears Jr., Coen Carr and Gehrig Normand — arriving this summer. Izzo kept three scholarships open this season, and Joey Hauser is leaving to pursue a pro future instead of appealing to the NCAA for a sixth season of eligibility.
Izzo also is awaiting the decisions of Hall and guard Tyson Walker about whether they plan to return for a fifth season of eligibility. Should both return, that would put MSU at one below the NCAA limit of 13 scholarships with Brooks’ expected departure.
Contact Chris Solari:csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari.
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Read More: Pierre Brooks II headed to transfer portal 2023-03-29 16:38:17