Being a five-star recruit and top 10 prospect in the country usually comes with high expectations and pressure to perform immediately. But, this was not the case with NC State women’s basketball freshman guard Zoe Brooks.
Brooks joined a squad that had an established starting five with players who had been with the program multiple years and guards who had already proved themselves. The goal of a college coach is to get as many highly-ranked players as possible, but at the time, the signing seemed like a plan for the future given the talented guards NC State already had. Instead, Brooks has made an immediate impact on one of the best teams in the country.
Brooks didn’t wait long to announce her presence to the college basketball world. The freshman put her name on the map with an eight-point second quarter against then-No. 2 UConn that helped the Wolfpack overcome a nine-point first quarter deficit. Despite this being just her second game at the collegiate level, Brooks was not fazed by the bright lights and scored most of her points inside the paint on much bigger defenders.
Her second-quarter performance was key in the upset win over the Huskies, but the five-star recruit was just getting started. For the next stretch of games, Brooks continued to be the first player off the bench and impacted the game in every area.
Not only can she score, but the best part of her game is the ability to set up her teammates. It’s a luxury for head coach Wes Moore to have a player come off the bench with the ability to run the show nearly as well as his starting guards.
Despite coming off the bench in most games, Brooks is second on the team in assists and has recorded five or more assists in a game five times, including two double-digit assist performances. It can’t be understated how impressive it is for a freshman to run the offense and do it as efficiently as Brooks has.
Due to an injury to star junior guard Saniya Rivers, Brooks was abruptly inserted into the starting lineup. Instead of shying away from the spotlight, Brooks took her game to another level and recorded the program’s second triple-double in her first start. Her 14 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists earned her ACC Freshman of the Week and USBWA National Freshman of the Week honors.
Rivers missed the next two games, and Brooks continued to shine with a 13-point, 11-assist game against Old Dominion and a 12-point, seven-rebound game against South Florida. She also turned up the intensity on the defensive end in these games, recording three steals and two blocks over the two-game stretch. Brooks is second on the team in steals per game and always plays physical defense no matter who she’s guarding.
On a team that heavily relies on its starters, Brooks has become a critical piece off the bench, not only to give players rest but also to make a massive impact on the game. Without Brooks, the Pack would lack serious depth and have minimal options off the bench.
Coming out of high school, Brooks had plenty of opportunities at schools where she could have started right away and been the number one option given the five-star next to her name, but instead, she chose to join a program with a winning culture despite the veteran guards that were already there.
Her decision has paid off; she’s quickly become an impact player for a team that consistently ranks in the nation’s top 10. Not only has it paid off for her, but it’s paid off for the Pack: the team has a talented player, and she’s just getting started.
