The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1520409
32 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JUNE/JULY 2024 2024 BASKETBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY CLAYTON SAYFIE L ate in a blowout regional fi- nal win over Allendale (Mich.) High, Grand Rapids (Mich.) Catholic Central guard Dur- ral Brooks committed a foul that sent an opponent to the free throw line. Brooks, as he often does, went back to his team's bench to get a word from Cougars head coach TJ Meerman. "You got it," Meerman told Brooks. "Got what? The W?'" the 6-foot-2, 180-pounder replied. The response sheds light on Brooks' priorities — he's all about his team and winning — but the "it" in question was the Hal Schram Mr. Basketball award pre- sented to the best senior boys' basketball player in the state of Michigan. "I wanted to tell him face to face, and that was the only private moment we'd have," Meerman explained. Brooks is the first from his high school and fourth from the Grand Rapids area to take home the hardware. Having signed with U-M in November 2023, he's the 12th Wolverine to earn the honor, joining the likes of Glen Rice (1985), Terry Mills (1986), Chris Webber (1991), Robert Tray- lor (1995) and, most recently, Isaiah Livers in 2017. He was also tabbed as the player of the year in the state for Division II and the OK Gold Conference. "It means a lot, just everybody believ- ing in me," Brooks said. "All my coaches, parents giving me rides. All the drills we do, all the stuff I went through. It just means a lot knowing that was paying off and that I could give back to all the people that believed in me." "It's just an honor to be on the ballot, but very few people actually win that thing," Meerman pointed out. "Just su- per proud for him, proud for his family." For Brooks, his high school career was quite the journey. It began with winning the program's first state championship his freshman year, when Brooks scored 10 points in the final. It continued with a state title game appearance the next sea- son, before bowing out early in 2023 and making it all the way to the state quarter- finals this past March. Brooks' favorite moment from the four-year stretch? Winning the 2021 state championship at Breslin Center in East Lansing. What he's most proud of? "Just how far our team came this year, especially with us being so young," he said. One of only two seniors on a team with five sophomores, Brooks carried the Cougars at times, especially in the big moments, even playing through a knee injury (small tear in patellar tendon) in the back half of the season that forced him to miss five games and a lot of prac- tice time. Brooks, whose nickname is "Phat Phat," takes great pride in being the con- summate teammate. "I would just say trying to be more like a brother than a teammate, trying to be like family to them so we can have that con- nection," Brooks noted. "With all of our coaches on our staff, when you come in the gym and walk in on any day — and it doesn't matter if Phat played well or didn't play well at any time, and most of the time he played well — he's coming up and the first thing is, 'What's up, Coach? How's your day? Love you,'" Meerman explained. "When you leave, it's always a hug and 'Appreciate you, Coach. Love you.' I think that rapport is what we're going to miss the most." On the court, Brooks "rewrote our his- tory books," Meerman said. MR. BASKETBALL Durral Brooks, Who Remained Locked In With Home-State Wolverines, Is All About Winning Brooks won the 2024 Hal Schram Mr. Basketball award, presented to the best senior boys' basket- ball player in the state of Michigan. He's the 12th Wolverine to earn the honor and the first since Isaiah Livers in 2017. PHOTO COURTESY DURRAL BROOKS