Brotherly admiration spurs Keion Brooks to excel in Kentucky’s SEC opener
Sentimentalists surely would love how Keion Brooks explained his personal revival in Kentucky’s 83-56 victory over Missouri Wednesday night at Rupp Arena.
After five points, four fouls and three turnovers in a fitful — and forgettable — 13-plus minutes against Western Kentucky a week earlier, he could be embraced as our man Brooks.
He scored 17 points and grabbed a season-high nine rebounds as UK handled Missouri in the team’s Southeastern Conference opener.
“What really helped me was going home,” he said of spending Christmas with his family in Fort Wayne, Ind.
Specifically, Brooks cited the admiration he sensed his younger brothers have for him.
“How much they look up to you,” he said.
Teammate TyTy Washington said he knew almost literally from the start that Brooks would play well. Brooks scored UK’s first basket 35 seconds into the game on a tip-in.
“He set the tone, really,” Washington said. “He was aggressive. After that first putback — over Oscar (Tshiebwe) — I knew he was going to have a good game. He accepted the car crash (meaning contact) … and still finished. I knew he was going to have a big game.”
After seeing his team improve to 10-2, UK Coach John Calipari saluted Brooks. “Keion was terrific,” he said.
Brooks’ standout contribution was the latest chapter in an interesting give and take with teammate Jacob Toppin. The two share the front-line position next to Tshiebwe.
To drive home his point about the value of hustle and effort, Calipari said again that he can substitute Toppin for Brooks or vice versa.
With all going well from the start, Toppin did not enter the game until the 14:26 mark.
Brooks suggested it’s more of a selfless competition between two friends.
“I don’t really think we’re battling for minutes,” he said.
Brooks said he and Toppin understand that neither is immune from the ups and downs that impact all players. No doubt it helps that the two are close.
“We literally do everything together,” Brooks said. “Lift. Work out. Hang out a lot together. …
“Jacob is a good dude. … Jacob is special because he’s always positive.”
Brooks acknowledged that the dynamic of two players vying for playing time at the same position could be tense.
It was possible “we could not be friends,” he said. “But Jacob always goes out of his way to be a friend. And I do the same.”
Brooks saluted Toppin’s playing zeal.
“Constant energy,” he said. “The way he’s able to fly around. He’s aggressive. Guards so many different positions. That’s something I try to take from him.”
Tshiebwe is a spur the two share, Brooks said.
“Very much so,” he said before playfully adding, “Oscar is very selfish about his rebounds. That’s a good thing. That builds our level up. … We’re not going to let Oscar grab all of them.”
Not for the first time, Calipari said that players — and fans and the media — should not look at shooting as an indicator of how to judge a performance. Yes, Brooks made seven of 11 shots, but putting in the effort to rebound and play physical will lead to more playing time, the UK coach said.
Of course, it’s not uncommon for shot-making to elevate performance. Conversely, misses can be deflating.
“The name of the game is putting the ball in the basket,” Brooks said. “Everybody has dreams of scoring. … As you mature, you have to accept that” effort must be the first priority.
Washington sounded like a believer.
Of those who let shooting affect performance, the freshman said, “I feel people who play like that, that just hinders their game. Basketball is more than just making shots.”
To make the point that all players miss shots, Washington said, “even Michael Jordan didn’t make every shot.”
Kentucky showed resilience in beating Missouri. It was a game of runs in which UK took charge with a 15-4 run at the start. Then Missouri countered with a 12-2 run.
Kentucky sealed its victory by scoring 14 straight points to take a 77-52 lead into the final three minutes.
“I loved it,” Calipari said before adding, “Here’s what I loved: how we started the game. (With) energy.”
Kentucky’s ability to answer Missouri’s run prompted a question about Brooks’ swagger.
“My swagger has to come through my energy,” he said. “Using my size and my athleticism to make plays.”
Friday
High Point at No. 18 Kentucky
When: Noon
TV: SEC Network
Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1
Records: High Point 6-7, Kentucky 10-2
Series: Kentucky leads 3-0
Last meeting: Kentucky won 75-55 on Nov. 29, 2005, in Lexington.
This story was originally published December 29, 2021 at 11:30 PM.
