Keion Brooks Jr. showing more confidence in UK's fast-paced offense

Keion Brooks Jr. connected on just 11 three-pointers through his first two seasons at Kentucky. He shot 23.4 percent on those makes, taking 47 attempts to barely break double-digits. Opposing defenses didn’t respect Brooks from distance, and it hurt Kentucky drastically during a 2020-21 season where the ‘Cats desperately needed outside shooting.

On Friday night in Kentucky’s first of two exhibition games, the 6-foot-7 junior forward shot 4-6 from deep, stepping into every look with extreme confidence.

“I’m just more confident in what I’m doing,” Brooks said after Friday’s game. “Just letting the game come to me.”

Exhibition games are still exhibition games, but Brooks’ production was no accident. He finished with 18 points and eight rebounds on 7-12 shooting in the 95-72 win over Kentucky Wesleyan College, appearing in just 21 minutes of action. Brooks was tied with TyTy Washington for the team-high in points but finished fourth on the team in usage rate. He made a major impact without commanding the ball.

Calipari inserted his top veteran Wildcat into the starting lineup and Brooks responded by showing off his most developed skill of the offseason: three-point shooting.

“I’ve really been working on expanding my range,” Brooks added. “My teammates got me good open looks behind the three and I had the confidence to knock them down. That’s all it really comes down to–reps and repetition. All of them constant reps will build confidence.”

Brooks growing his game

Brooks is going to be a vitally important piece to Kentucky this season. Not only has he played more minutes as a Wildcat than any one of his teammates, but he also brings a versatile skillset that continues to improve over time. Brooks can defend a variety of positions and is now proving to be a deep threat, as well.

He went from averaging 4.5 points and 3.2 rebounds as a freshman to putting up 10.3 points and 6.8 boards as a sophomore, despite missing the first nine games of the latter with a leg injury. Had the injury not occurred, he might have been on pace to post even better numbers. But now that he’s had a healthy offseason without nearly as many isolative measures, Brooks is already hitting the groove many have been hoping for heading into his junior year.

“He played good. He’s way better, way more skilled,” UK head coach John Calipari said of Brooks. “He’s improved all of that stuff. My thing and I keep coming back to him, ‘Your skillset is really elevated.’”

It started with the added confidence in Brooks’ jumpshot. But equally important now is where he’s receiving the ball and how he’s getting to those spots. Brooks was hitting good, tough baskets. But that being said, he wouldn’t have been open in the first place if it weren’t for his teammates. There were a handful of plays against Kentucky Wesleyan where Kellan Grady or Sahvir Wheeler set Brooks up with a wide-open look.

“We have a team with so many skilled players offensively, people that are willing to give up the ball; there’s no need for you to hunt your shot,” Brooks said. “When you play the right way the ball is gonna find you in your areas and your spots. Then it’s on you to make the play.”

Playing a more spaced-out offense provides Brooks with those opportunities. He’s going to let the game come to him. The threat of a player like Grady or Wheeler attacking the rim is going to be dangerous with three or four shooters waiting patiently on the wings. When Oscar Tshiebwe has the ball down low and all eyes are on him, Brooks and company will be ready with hands set, ready to fire.

“We got great guards, great bigs, we also got a great team around me that just makes my job so much easier where I don’t have to think much,” Brooks added. “Just gotta be able to react on the fly and make the plays that are there for me to make.”

Coach Calipari has put an added emphasis on pushing the pace this year. It extends down to Brooks, along with the rest of the forward and bigs. Instead of hauling in a rebound and searching for a guard, Calipari wants Brooks to snag it and run the break himself.

Brooks doesn’t need to take a “P.J. Washington-type” leap in order to make a bigger impact. And in reality, he took that leap last season but the ability to showcase it just wasn’t as available. Now he’s the team leader, surrounded by 20-plus-year-olds and two starting-fives worth of Division I players.

Fitting in will benefit Brooks more than breaking out.