#33 BROOKS HALL, 6-6 205LB, SO, TROY, OH

Brooks Hall began his freshman year at the University of Dayton some 14 months ago, but his story goes back much further than that. It can be argued that no recruit in the history of Flyer hoopdom has come to The U with as much hype or controversy as the young man from Troy, Ohio. Certainly, no student-athlete has garnered such attention in Oliver Purnell’s reign at UD. For better or worse, Brooks’ influence in his first year will be felt by the program for years. Everyone who follows the UD basketball program knows the story by heart now, so there is no need to go over it again.Right out of the gate, Hall only made four of his first 19 shots as a Flyer. After that, though, the slender 6-6 small forward began to show the shooting brilliance that carried him to Ohio High School All-State honors and Ohio Player of the Year. Over the next five games, Hall’s blistering touch converted 22 of 34 shots, and he showed deadly outside range from beyond the arc –- particularly against UMBC (5-7) and as the lone bright spot in a loss to Cleveland State (4-6).In between the UMBC game and CSU game however, Brooks’ role on the 1999-2000 Flyers underwent a major transition. Fellow small forward Cain Doliboa was diagnosed with a back problem after exiting against Marquette in the first half. This event thrust Hall into the starting lineup for essentially the rest of the season. And over the course of 31 games, Hall averaged 10.4ppg, 5.7ppg, and 1.7apg — third in scoring, second in rebounding, and fourth in assists. For a 6-6 wingman — let alone a freshman — to dish out 52 assists to 42 turnovers is rare indeed. It doesn’t hurt that he was also third on the team in steals (31).

Quickly becoming a fan favorite for his silky touch and cool on-court demeanor, Brooks excelled all over (especially on the offensive end) as he was willing to take the difficult shots time and again for the Flyers. His accuracy forced defenses to play honest, and did not allow them to collapse on Mark Ashman inside. A sign of maturity beyond his years became evident after a disastrous loss at Fordham. In his low point of the season, Hall contributed only two points on 1-12 shooting from the field. Rather than become despondent, Hall rebounded with three strong games to follow and 11 straight games where he scored in double figures — highlighted by a critical 3-pointer late in the home matchup against St. Bonaventure.

Every year it seems most incoming freshmen that contribute significant minutes hit ‘the wall’ around late January. A quick glance at the numbers seems to bear this out for Brooks, although it happened a little later in the year -– possibly because he didn’t become a full-time starter until the Doliboa injury. Over the last five games, Brooks’ shooting percentage dropped to 37% from the field, and 31% from beyond the arc. In spite of the semi-slump, his defense and tenacity never wavered.More big things are expected from the now-sophomore. Most of the off-court distractions are gone, and Hall should continue to put up big numbers as the incumbent starter at small forward. If there are any aspects to Hall’s game to look for improvement in, fans should take notice of his ball-handling and ability to create his own shots off the dribble. Arguably the best pure shooter on the team and with a year under his belt, look for Hall to be more selfish with his shot as well. Finally, teams recognized Hall’s reluctance to drive to the basket. As the top foul shooter on the Flyers, Brooks ranked seventh on the team in number of foul attempts –- this has to improve.Last year Brooks Hall showed glimpses of his overall brilliance. His headiness for the game. His unselfishness. His deadly shooting. His cool demeanor. All Flyer fans can ask for is continued improvement.