The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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TRACKING THE PACK MARCH/APRIL 2023 ■ 13 Women's Basketball Recruit Zoe Brooks Makes McDonald's All-America Team NC State women's basketball signee Zoe Brooks is in the middle of an undefeated senior season at Saint John Vianney High in New Jersey. Earlier this year, she was one of 24 elite class of 2023 prospects to earn a spot in the McDonald's All-American Game, which will take place March 28 in Houston. The five-star guard signed with NC State in November after committing to the Wolfpack over the summer. Brooks, who is rated as the No. 9 recruit in the country by ESPN, was averaging 24 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game through late January. She has also recorded double-digit steals in three games this year and scored a season-high 35 points Jan. 6, per NJ.com. "Zoe is a combo guard who can run the show at point and break the defense down while also scoring the ball at all those levels," NC State head coach Wes Moore said in a signing day press release. "She makes everyone around her better with a high school state championship to prove it." One of Brooks' best performances of the year was a 32-point outing that also included 5 assists, 5 rebounds and 11 steals Dec. 29. ESPN elaborated on why Brooks made the All-America team. "Brooks is a gifted scorer who can flat-out put the ball in the basket. Over the past 18 months, she has really gone to work on her conditioning, and it brought her game to another level. She is a true three-level scorer. De - fenses must be there on the close-out, but containing Brooks is no easy feat. She attacks angles, changes speeds, and has the footwork and handle to counter. "Her strength allows her to finish with contact at the rim, and her touch provides an array of floaters and usage of the glass for buckets. Brooks sees the floor well and zips passes to teammates for open looks. Defensively, she has fantastic instincts and is good in passing lanes and in the press." In addition to her McDonald's All-America honors, Brooks was also selected to play for Team USA at the Nike Hoop Summit, which will take place April 8 in Portland, Ore. This will be the future NC State guard's national team debut. After picking up offers from North Carolina, South Carolina and others, Brooks decided to wrap up her recruit - ment and chose the Wolfpack in June 2022. The 5-foot-10 guard previously received MaxPreps All-America hon- ors as a junior. Saint John Vianney is 29-0 and recently secured a Shore Conference Championship. As of Feb. 24, Brooks' squad had scored a total of 2,161 points this year, per MaxPreps, and only allowed 1,083. "I love winning. I only lost one game as a freshman, one as a sophomore and one as a junior so far in high school," Brooks told NJ.com after committing to NC State. "When I was younger playing for the New Jersey Sparks and in middle school at Holy Savior Academy, we did a whole lot of winning, too. The same thing with Philly Rise AAU right now. "I wanted to go to a program with a history of success, a coach that plays a lot of guards and doesn't hold them back and a team that competes on the national stage. "That's why I chose Saint John Vianney last summer, and why I chose North Carolina State now." According to NJ.com, through Feb. 24, Brooks had scored 1,880 points and recorded 468 steals in 103 games during the past four seasons. NC State's recruiting class is ranked No. 8 nationally according to ESPN. In addition to Brooks, the class includes four-star forward Maddie Cox from Flower Mound (Texas) High, four-star guard Laci Steele from Guthrie (Okla.) Edmond North High and four-star center Mallory Collier from Millington (Tenn.) Bartlett High. ■ Brooks will compete in the 2023 McDonald's All-American Game on March 28 in Houston. The 5-10 guard had led Holmdel (N.J.) St. John Vianney High to a 29-0 record through Feb. 24. PHOTO COURTESY ZOE BROOKS NOTE: TheWolfpacker.com is the companion site to The Wolfpacker magazine. It is a separate subscription and is NOT included with the magazine. RECRUITING SCOOP Daily news and analysis from a veteran staff of NC State insiders. DAILY TEAM COVERAGE Go behind the scenes with exclusive coverage on the Wolfpack throughout the season. STRONG COMMUNITY The largest Wolfpack premium message board on the web, plus members can read all of the other message boards in the network. NEXT-GENERATION PLAYER DATABASE A cleaner database with more information than any predecessor. Join today with our special offer for ALL NC State fans: $29.99 for access until 8/31/23 Regularly $99.99 • Offer valid for new subscribers only TheWolfpacker.com The Premier NC State Fan Site