Darrion Brooks-2023

[Hoosierinbham]

5 minutes ago, dgambill said:

All I’m suggesting is we keep an open mind and if there is mutual interest we recruit him. No need for special favors or holding a roster spot etc. I just don’t think like others are suggesting you simply write a kid off because his brother and family decided to go a different route. Maybe this time they want him closer to home or they want him on a team where he can see more of the ball who knows. Some act like Keion and his dad did us dirty. I don’t see it that way unless someone has insider info.

This is a fair take. Can't disagree with much. Some people don't like the father's public comments, and some don't care. Not a right or wrong. Guess we'll see how it plays out.

[FKIM01]

1 hour ago, dgambill said:

I just see a bunch of butthurt fans because the family thought the best opportunity for Keion was to go to UK in trying to get to the NBA.

I'm not sure who it's directed at, but I don't think it's unfair at all to question the family's priorities based on what both he and Jr. said publicly.

1. Dad tweeted publicly "Time to be selfish!"
2. Jr. said during his interview that the deciding factor was how quick he could get to the NBA and NBA millions.
3. Jr. was temporarily booted from his Ft. Wayne team during his jr. season.  At the time, IU fans mostly gave him the benefit of the doubt and labeled the coach as a jerk.  Maybe the coach was a jerk, but at the very least, this was another yellow flag of potential problems.

Casting aside #3 since we can't say for certain who was most at fault, 1 & 2 are troublesome points when evaluating how well a player will fit into the team concept and how much of a distraction a parent might become.  A father advising his son to be selfish strikes me as a father who might sound off when his son doesn't get the playing time & exposure that dad thinks he should.  This is all well & good when the season is rolling along and junior is looking good, but what happens when junior is benched for a bad play or gets passed up by another player at his position?  We've seen a little of that at IU and a lot of that at UCLA and I don't think it's at all unfair to consider how such interference might upset the locker room.

Jr.'s stated desire to be one & done also creates a potential problem if his talent doesn't warrant the minutes and exposure he think she needs to get there after one season.  How does Jr. deal with time on the bench?  Maybe he's fine with it.  Maybe dad isn't.  There's a possibility that lack of playing time created some locker room/chemistry issues for IU last year.  We'll likely never know for certain, but when a kid wants to be one & done and there's another player at his position cutting into his minutes and exposure, it's fair to speculate how that might affect his attitude and willingness to be a team player.  If IU recruits a one & done, I hope it's a player that has the ability to earn a ton of minutes.  I'm just pretty wary about how a one & done may upset the chemistry and the stated goal of getting old and staying old.  We witnessed problems with Javon Quinerly at Villanova last year and I very much question whether a one & done who falls a little short of being an elite talent would be a good fit for IU.  I like the idea that Trayce may be planning for more than one season, but is likely good enough to start year one anyway.  I haven't seen him emphasize a desire to be one and done and get to the NBA millions quickly.  He may well secretly harbor those desires, but I don't recall any quotes remotely similar to that.  Cody Zeller said nothing like that either.

I won't even attempt to assign blame related to point number 3, but surely it's fair to say this is at least a yellow warning flag.  When was the last time an IU player was booted or quit his high school team prior to playing at IU?  I'm trying to remember the most recent example.  Seems to me that Sherron Wilkerson had some issues in high school and no surprise, he had a tough time at IU as well.  Darius Garland was suspended his senior year as well.  He didn't play long enough at Vanderbilt for any problems to manifest, but who knows what might have happened over the course of a full season.  I don't think you can discount stories of problems staying on a high school team vs. getting kicked off or suspended.  It's surely less than an ideal look regardless of who is mostly at fault.  You don't see players like Yogi, Cody, Victor or Jordan Hulls getting booted from their high school teams.  I don't recall any stories of any current IU players getting booted or suspended.

Call it sour grapes, being butthirt or whatever.  I'm not faulting the kid at this point since I know zero about him.  What I am saying, and I don't think it's unfair, is that he grew up in the same household with the same role models.  If I'm recruiting him after what I witnessed with his dad and older brother, I'm paying a LOT of attention to how the kid carries himself and what he says.  I'm checking his Twitter feed, his Instagram and Facebook pages.  I'm reading what dad is tweeting and I'l following his team and the related chatter.  I'm looking for warning signs and looking for alternatives if I see them.  I had no interest in Marquis Teague for the same reason.  I saw him getting T'd up in high school and I didn't like how he carried himself at all.  I have no problem with players who show emotion like Thomas Bryant or Carsen Edwards.  I have a problem with a punk like Marquis Teague.  I don't know if the Brooks boys fall into that category or not, but I saw things and heard statements that concern me about how they'd ultimately fit in.  As I said earlier, I'll trust Archie to make that decision and root for anyone he signs, but it's naive to assume that he won't ever recruit a player who causes chemistry or locker room issues.  I think there are enough signs to be proceed with caution in pursuing a member of the Brooks family and I'll stand by that assessment for now.

[Brass Cannon]

5 hours ago, FKIM01 said:

I'm not sure who it's directed at, but I don't think it's unfair at all to question the family's priorities based on what both he and Jr. said publicly.

1. Dad tweeted publicly "Time to be selfish!"
2. Jr. said during his interview that the deciding factor was how quick he could get to the NBA and NBA millions.
3. Jr. was temporarily booted from his Ft. Wayne team during his jr. season.  At the time, IU fans mostly gave him the benefit of the doubt and labeled the coach as a jerk.  Maybe the coach was a jerk, but at the very least, this was another yellow flag of potential problems.

Casting aside #3 since we can't say for certain who was most at fault, 1 & 2 are troublesome points when evaluating how well a player will fit into the team concept and how much of a distraction a parent might become.  A father advising his son to be selfish strikes me as a father who might sound off when his son doesn't get the playing time & exposure that dad thinks he should.  This is all well & good when the season is rolling along and junior is looking good, but what happens when junior is benched for a bad play or gets passed up by another player at his position?  We've seen a little of that at IU and a lot of that at UCLA and I don't think it's at all unfair to consider how such interference might upset the locker room.

Jr.'s stated desire to be one & done also creates a potential problem if his talent doesn't warrant the minutes and exposure he think she needs to get there after one season.  How does Jr. deal with time on the bench?  Maybe he's fine with it.  Maybe dad isn't.  There's a possibility that lack of playing time created some locker room/chemistry issues for IU last year.  We'll likely never know for certain, but when a kid wants to be one & done and there's another player at his position cutting into his minutes and exposure, it's fair to speculate how that might affect his attitude and willingness to be a team player.  If IU recruits a one & done, I hope it's a player that has the ability to earn a ton of minutes.  I'm just pretty wary about how a one & done may upset the chemistry and the stated goal of getting old and staying old.  We witnessed problems with Javon Quinerly at Villanova last year and I very much question whether a one & done who falls a little short of being an elite talent would be a good fit for IU.  I like the idea that Trayce may be planning for more than one season, but is likely good enough to start year one anyway.  I haven't seen him emphasize a desire to be one and done and get to the NBA millions quickly.  He may well secretly harbor those desires, but I don't recall any quotes remotely similar to that.  Cody Zeller said nothing like that either.

I won't even attempt to assign blame related to point number 3, but surely it's fair to say this is at least a yellow warning flag.  When was the last time an IU player was booted or quit his high school team prior to playing at IU?  I'm trying to remember the most recent example.  Seems to me that Sherron Wilkerson had some issues in high school and no surprise, he had a tough time at IU as well.  Darius Garland was suspended his senior year as well.  He didn't play long enough at Vanderbilt for any problems to manifest, but who knows what might have happened over the course of a full season.  I don't think you can discount stories of problems staying on a high school team vs. getting kicked off or suspended.  It's surely less than an ideal look regardless of who is mostly at fault.  You don't see players like Yogi, Cody, Victor or Jordan Hulls getting booted from their high school teams.  I don't recall any stories of any current IU players getting booted or suspended.

Call it sour grapes, being butthirt or whatever.  I'm not faulting the kid at this point since I know zero about him.  What I am saying, and I don't think it's unfair, is that he grew up in the same household with the same role models.  If I'm recruiting him after what I witnessed with his dad and older brother, I'm paying a LOT of attention to how the kid carries himself and what he says.  I'm checking his Twitter feed, his Instagram and Facebook pages.  I'm reading what dad is tweeting and I'l following his team and the related chatter.  I'm looking for warning signs and looking for alternatives if I see them.  I had no interest in Marquis Teague for the same reason.  I saw him getting T'd up in high school and I didn't like how he carried himself at all.  I have no problem with players who show emotion like Thomas Bryant or Carsen Edwards.  I have a problem with a punk like Marquis Teague.  I don't know if the Brooks boys fall into that category or not, but I saw things and heard statements that concern me about how they'd ultimately fit in.  As I said earlier, I'll trust Archie to make that decision and root for anyone he signs, but it's naive to assume that he won't ever recruit a player who causes chemistry or locker room issues.  I think there are enough signs to be proceed with caution in pursuing a member of the Brooks family and I'll stand by that assessment for now.

This is just sad. If crap was actually true you should be celebrating because we dodged a bullet. 

This is just sour grapes because the kid went to Kentucky. 

The kid and his dad did what was best for them to achieve their goals. You know who else does that?  Just about everybody. 

[IU Scott]

This kid in the 2023 class so why not wait to see if he is really good enough to even play at this level.  Just because his older brother was this good does not mean this kid will be as good.  Just look at the Gordon's where a lot of people said the youngest one was going to be the best but never turned out to be that good.

[jv1972iu]

1 hour ago, IU Scott said:

This kid in the 2023 class so why not wait to see if he is really good enough to even play at this level.  Just because his older brother was this good does not mean this kid will be as good.  Just look at the Gordon's where a lot of people said the youngest one was going to be the best but never turned out to be that good.

Good point.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Who's to say KB Sr. will take the same approach with his younger son? We will have to wait and see how this season goes for Keion at Kentucky. Don't preclude the idea that this year can be a learning experience (positive or negative).

[rico]

6 minutes ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

Who's to say KB Sr. will take the same approach with his younger son? We will have to wait and see how this season goes for Keion at Kentucky. Don't preclude the idea that this year can be a learning experience (positive or negative).

KBS' technique/approach will be dictated by KBJ success or lack thereof.  Either way, a dose of reality will soon set in.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

13 minutes ago, rico said:

KBS' technique/approach will be dictated by KBJ success or lack thereof.  Either way, a dose of reality will soon set in.

I'm not insinuating that KBJ will likely have a bad experience. He certainly has the talent to put a stranglehold on a starting role. But the competition will be fierce and will the family think it was worth it if KBJ is coming off the bench for 15 minutes a game? 

[FKIM01]

5 hours ago, Brass Cannon said:

This is just sad. If crap was actually true you should be celebrating because we dodged a bullet. 

This is just sour grapes because the kid went to Kentucky. 

The kid and his dad did what was best for them to achieve their goals. You know who else does that?  Just about everybody. 

So typical to immediately dismiss this as sour grapes.  I halfway expected that which is why I did as much as I did to objectively make my case.

#1 & #2 were absolutely true.  I heard and saw them with my own eyes.  Feel free to tell me what's not true about either of those.  I gave him the benefit of the doubt on #3, but I don't see it as unfair to consider that incident a warning flag.

...and I don't doubt for a minute that Bryant, Oladipo, Zeller et al also did what was best to achieve their goals, but you're willfully blind if you think one is like the others.  Compare how Trayce Jackson and his parents conducted themselves during recruiting to how the Brooks family conducted themselves.  I didn't see dad tweeting about being selfish and I didn't hear Trayce saying that IU was just a short stay between him and NBA millions.  I don't doubt Trayce wants to get to the NBA sooner rather than later, but instead of talking about being one and done, he is actively recruiting classes behind him.  Overall rankings were very similar and their ultimate goals are likely very similar, but how you carry yourself publicly matters to me.  I hope it matters to the coaching staff as well.

What's sad is fans like you willing to overlook multiple warning signs for the sake of maybe getting more talent at the potential expense of chemistry.  I'm not celebrating that he went elsewhere, but after seeing and hearing what I did, I'm not sad either.  Maybe IU did dodge a bullet.  We'll see.

[rico]

1 hour ago, ElectricBoogaloo said:

I'm not insinuating that KBJ will likely have a bad experience. He certainly has the talent to put a stranglehold on a starting role. But the competition will be fierce and will the family think it was worth it if KBJ is coming off the bench for 15 minutes a game? 

The family will be fine if KBJ comes off the bench for 15 minutes per game...if and only IF it translates into a lottery selection.

[dgambill]

3 hours ago, rico said:

The family will be fine if KBJ comes off the bench for 15 minutes per game...if and only IF it translates into a lottery selection.

At UK you can absolutely get to the NBA with minimal to no playing time. Lottery I doubt but first rd pick possibly. One thing is for sure...you don’t go to UK to “be the man” or be treated special or be the focus of the team. That’s a team in all honesty you have to earn your minutes and be s team player or you will not play. I can’t stand Kentucky but even I appreciate that call incorporates these young attitudes and gets them to buy in. I think the selfish thing was misconstrued. Imo and I could be wrong but I think the selfish thing came from doing what’s best for his kid and going to an NBA factory instead of following his old coach and going to the hometown Hoosiers that everyone and even his friend TJD was asking him to do.

[rico]

26 minutes ago, dgambill said:

At UK you can absolutely get to the NBA with minimal to no playing time. Lottery I doubt but first rd pick possibly. One thing is for sure...you don’t go to UK to “be the man” or be treated special or be the focus of the team. That’s a team in all honesty you have to earn your minutes and be s team player or you will not play. I can’t stand Kentucky but even I appreciate that call incorporates these young attitudes and gets them to buy in. I think the selfish thing was misconstrued. Imo and I could be wrong but I think the selfish thing came from doing what’s best for his kid and going to an NBA factory instead of following his old coach and going to the hometown Hoosiers that everyone and even his friend TJD was asking him to do.

Hometown Hoosiers?  You mean Mastodons...right?

[BobSaccamanno]

2023 is so far away, I am not rushing to judgement.  By the time that gets close, Calipari may be gone, or under sanctions, or both.  We don't know if Keion will have liked it there.  We don't know what kind of player the youngster will be. He could be a straight to the NBA guy or an Eron Gordon.  It's early.

Obviously, Archie is smart enough not to get drawn into some protracted problem based on his parents' behavior last time around though.

[dgambill]

51 minutes ago, rico said:

Hometown Hoosiers?  You mean Mastodons...right?

Well since he finished at La Lu I guess the Fighting Irish would be closest lol. But I think you get what I was saying. He had been linked so long to his home state Hoosiers and his fathers coach and his AAU teammate I think selfish means to go against them and play at a school that was his best interest and not theirs...again you don’t play at UK if you are selfish on the court or with the team etc. I can’t stand them but Cal does get them to sacrifice.

[rico]

26 minutes ago, dgambill said:

Well since he finished at La Lu I guess the Fighting Irish would be closest lol. But I think you get what I was saying. He had been linked so long to his home state Hoosiers and his fathers coach and his AAU teammate I think selfish means to go against them and play at a school that was his best interest and not theirs...again you don’t play at UK if you are selfish on the court or with the team etc. I can’t stand them but Cal does get them to sacrifice.

Hmmmmm......my guess is that Valpo would be the closest...but I am drunk after a pitiful day of fishing.  

[dgambill]

2 hours ago, rico said:

Hmmmmm......my guess is that Valpo would be the closest...but I am drunk after a pitiful day of fishing.  

Thanks again for educating us southern Indiana folk lol! Hope tomorrow is better for you!

[rico]

20 minutes ago, dgambill said:

Thanks again for educating us southern Indiana folk lol! Hope tomorrow is better for you!

More than happy to give you southern boys a edumacation.

[Moyeneeded]

16 hours ago, Brass Cannon said:

This is just sad. If crap was actually true you should be celebrating because we dodged a bullet. 

This is just sour grapes because the kid went to Kentucky. 

The kid and his dad did what was best for them to achieve their goals. You know who else does that?  Just about everybody. 

If the NBA was the goal, could he have not achieved that playing here? Romeo did! And a lottery pick I might add. Just as much tv coverage, a better conference. All of the playing time in the world. Btw, most of that crap WAS true!

[Brass Cannon]

33 minutes ago, Moyeneeded said:

If the NBA was the goal, could he have not achieved that playing here? Romeo did! And a lottery pick I might add. Just as much tv coverage, a better conference. All of the playing time in the world. Btw, most of that crap WAS true!

Romeo’s draft stock slipped. Why do people pretend that didn’t happen?  

[Hoosier98]

Romeo went to a much better organization by slipping. I’m happy for him to go somewhere that he will be able to win and have a good coach. It would have been hard to root for some of the lottery teams that were picking before the Celtics. I bet he will be happier playing for Coach Stevens than many of those other places.

[Moyeneeded]

1 hour ago, Brass Cannon said:

Romeo’s draft stock slipped. Why do people pretend that didn’t happen?  

Why? Are you going to pretend that the tendon problem in his shooting hand most of the season had absolutely no effect on his shooting? 

[Brass Cannon]

8 hours ago, Moyeneeded said:

Why? Are you going to pretend that the tendon problem in his shooting hand most of the season had absolutely no effect on his shooting? 

I’m not saying anything about that. 

But Romeo was Archie’s one 5 star talent gotten to the NBA and Romeo and his draft stock went the wrong way.  So the Brooks decided to go to a 5 star/NBA draft assembly line.  

We bombed our audition it’s childish to get upset at them for going a different direction. 

[OGIUAndy]

10 hours ago, Brass Cannon said:

Romeo’s draft stock slipped. Why do people pretend that didn’t happen?  

Romeo was hurt. Why do people pretend he wasn’t? He had off season surgery. 

[milehiiu]

I will not take anything away from the fact that Romeo was injured.  Other than to point out that.... at least for me, that is another reason I don't care for the OAD rule. 

Question ?

Would IU have made it to the NCAAT with a healthy Romeo for an entire season?  We'll never know.  But IU came close, even with an inured Romeo.  We'll never get to see what a healthy Romeo could have meant for our program.  Wish him all the best as a Celtic. 

[Brass Cannon]

18 minutes ago, OGIUAndy said:

Romeo was hurt. Why do people pretend he wasn’t? He had off season surgery. 

So what?  Nerlens Noel got drafted 6th after his entire leg was basically destroyed. Teams draft on potential way too much for an injury to be the reason Romeo’s stock plummeted. 

You guys act like Brooks chose between two similar situations. 

At Kentucky he has a chance to win an SEC title and NCAA title. We couldn’t even guarantee him a tourney berth and his draft stock not to plummet. 

Choosing IU was always going to be the emotional choice and not the logical one. Don’t demonize the kid and father for making a logical choice simply because it didn’t benefit you.