Mar 6, 2021; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels senior forward Garrison Brooks (15) on the court in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Garrison Brooks’ Career as a Tar Heel

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Jeremiah Artacho | Last updated Aug 17, 2025 11:00 AM ET

Garrison Brooks from LaFayette, Alabama, spent four seasons in Chapel Hill under former Head Coach Roy Williams. His fourth and final year was the very last of Williams' coaching career, one where he won three different national championships (2005, 2009, 2017). Brooks used his fifth-year eligibility and decided to play for the Mississippi State Bulldogs to round out his college career.

During his junior year, Brooks played alongside a then-freshman Armando Bacot. Both shared the frontcourt duties throughout what some believe as one of or maybe so the worst seasons of UNC men's basketball in history. Then in his senior year (when COVID-19 took over basketball) he shared the floor with then-freshmen Day'Ron Sharpe and Walker Kessler (both now in the NBA), and a sophomore Bacot.

To put it simply, Brooks has played with a ton of talented centers as a Tar Heel, which comes to no surprise since it is a known commodity for UNC men's basketball.

How Was the Career of Garrison Brooks?

GoHeels went more in-depth on Brooks' career as a Tar Heel during arguably his best season in Chapel Hill — his junior year:

"Averaged 16.8 points and a team-high 8.5 rebounds • Earned second-team All-ACC honors and was voted the ACC’s Most Improved Player • Led the ACC in scoring in conference play at 18.8 points per game and was second in rebounding (9.0) and field goal percentage (.535) • In all games, was fourth in the ACC in scoring, fifth in rebounding and second in field goal percentage

• First Tar Heel to lead the ACC in scoring in league play since Tyler Hansbrough in 2008 (fifth to do so since 1988) • Scored 25 or more points in the last four regular-season games, the first Tar Heel to do that since Antawn Jamison in 1998 • Scored in double figures 25 times with 30 or more twice, 25 or more seven times and 20 or more 13 times

• Scored 20 or more once in the first 13 games, 11 times in his last 19 games and in seven of the last eight games • Seven-game streak with 20 or more was the longest by a Tar Heel since Tyler Hansbrough (nine) in 2008-09 • Defensive player of the game 13 times (no other Tar Heel had more than three) • Had 12 double-doubles, including six in a row, the longest streak by a Tar Heel since 2011

• Went 49 for 61 (.803) from the free throw line in the last six games • Played a career-high 34.9 minutes per game (36.0 in league play) • Scoring increase of 8.9 points per game led all ACC players."

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This article first appeared on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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