Transfer Pierre Brooks returns to Michigan State with red-hot Butler and an expanded role

‘… we need Pierre to play well — he’s here for a purpose.’

When the lights at Hinkle Fieldhouse dim and the Butler starting five is announced, Michigan State transfer Pierre Brooks II is the first player introduced to the home crowd.

In three of Butler’s five games (including two exhibitions), Brooks is the first Bulldog to put the ball in the basket. The 6-6, 240-pound guard/forward is wasting little time making a name for himself at his new basketball home, and that’s by design.

Butler coach Thad Matta wants Brooks to be assertive on offense. He wants Brooks to play like the former Michigan Mr. Basketball who averaged 33 points and 10 rebounds as a senior at Frederick Douglass Academy in Detroit. He wants Brooks to showcase the ability he never truly got to show during two quiet years with the Spartans.

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When Butler takes on Michigan State in East Lansing on Friday as part of the Gavitt Tip-Off Games, Brooks’ scoring ability and versatility will be needed against the Spartans.

“I have nothing but love for coach (Tom) Izzo,” Brooks said during the preseason. “It’s a great program. … But I feel like coach Matta over here has been doing a great job. I came from Michigan, but I just had to make the best decision for me. I feel like the best decision was to come to Butler and showcase what I can do.”

In three games with the Bulldogs, Brooks has already set a new career high with 16 points in the regular season opener against Eastern Michigan. He’s scored in double figures in all three of Butler’s games, tying the mark he set for his entire sophomore season at MSU.

Brooks’ shot has been inconsistent from 3, shooting 29.3% on 5-for-17 shooting, but he excels at getting downhill and attacking the basket. Few defenders on Butler’s nonconference schedule can keep a player with Brooks’ speed and strength out of the lane. He’ll find more resistance against a Michigan State team with NBA bodies throughout its roster. Mady Sissoko, a 6-9, 250-pound center and 6-8, 220-pound forward Malik Hall lead the frontcourt. Former No. 1 overall prospect and Cathedral star Xavier Booker, a 6-11, 220-pound forward, comes off the bench for the Spartans.

The Spartans average 37.3 points in the paint per game while allowing 24. Jayden Akins, a 6-4 guard, is the Spartans’ top rebounder at 8.7 per game.

Butler center Jalen Thomas will be tasked with manning the interior against Michigan State’s more mobile bigs. Backup center Andre Screen could be needed to match up against the Spartans more rugged and burly inside threats. Connor Turnbull had six blocks Monday night against East Tennessee State doubling his career-high and one shy of the Butler single-game record. The sophomore ranks seventh nationally at 3.33 blocks per game, Both Brooks and Jahmyl Telfort have the strength to match up well on the perimeter. Butler ranks No. 1 in the nation in field goal percentage defense with opponents shooting 30.6% from the field.

“I think we’ve done what we’re supposed to do,” Matta said. “Now as coaches we got to keep challenging our guys. We got to keep making our guys better. We have to keep teaching and just keep hammering home what we’ve got to get better at doing.”

Brooks is just one of Butler’s go-to scorers. Four Dawgs are averaging double figures with Posh Alexander and D.J. Davis averaging 13.7 points per game. Brooks is second at 13.3 per game followed by Telfort at 11.3 per game.

Matta credited Brooks for his dedication to improving his game. Now he’ll have a chance to show his growth with a return trip to the Breslin Center.

“You’re always happy for a guy like that because I have seen his commitment to working on his game,” Matta said. “He wants the advantages through film, and we need Pierre to play well — he’s here for a purpose.

“We’ve got to continue to make him better on a daily basis, and that’s what he wants to be. The other night he was just happy he had three assists, no turnovers. He’s going to have those games where they’re gonna cheat to him a little bit and we’ve got to help him keep finding the right guy.”

Follow IndyStar Butler Insider Akeem Glaspie on X at @THEAkeemGlaspie.

Pierre Brooks II with Butler