Kentucky basketball forward transferring to Washington

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Keion Brooks is returning to school basketball. Simply not at Kentucky.

The Wildcats’ beginning ahead final season, who lately withdrew his identify from the NBA draft pool, introduced Monday he would play his senior season of faculty basketball at Washington.

Brooks declared for the NBA draft on April 4 whereas leaving open the choice to return to highschool. Later that month, he entered the switch portal however in interviews on the NBA G League mix stated he was nonetheless specializing in beginning knowledgeable profession.

After not being invited to the NBA’s scouting mix, he eliminated his identify from the draft pool.

Final season, Brooks averaged 10.8 factors and 4.4 rebounds per sport final season.

Ohio State, Maryland, UCLA, Arizona, Notre Dame, Iowa, Florida, Mississippi State, South Carolina, BYU, DePaul, UNLV, Nebraska, Kansas State and Memphis had been additionally linked to Brooks as possible transfer destinations.

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The Fort Wayne, Indiana, native endured an unprecedented Kentucky profession.

The 6-foot-7, 210-pound ahead served as a task participant as a freshman on a group that received the 2020 Southeastern Convention common season title however noticed its season finish early with the COVID-19 pandemic compelled the cancelation of the NCAA Event.

He missed the primary six video games of his sophomore season with a leg harm. By the point he returned to the courtroom, Kentucky was effectively on its technique to an abysmal 9-16 file.

Brooks moved into the beginning lineup full-time for the primary time as a junior however continued to battle the inconsistency that has characterised most of his profession. He was at his finest in Kentucky’s marquee win of the season with 27 factors and eight rebounds within the blowout of Kansas in Lawrence.

That efficiency was the second sport in a stretch of 5 consecutive double-digit scoring video games. Brooks’ kind dipped once more down the stretch as he failed to succeed in double digits in three of the ultimate 4 video games.

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After the season-ending loss to St. Peter’s, Brooks provided what may have been perceived as a goodbye to Kentucky.

“I like and luxuriate in being across the employees, having actually good and nice occasions,” Brooks stated. “My tenure right here has been a bit of funky and troublesome, a bit of totally different, however I would not commerce it for something.

“Coming right here, I’ve realized lots past being a basketball participant, however Coach Cal has achieved an important job of shaping me into a greater man and that being stated, I do not remorse something that I have been by means of so long as I have been right here.”

UK coach John Calipari signaled in latest radio interviews he didn’t anticipate Brooks to return to Kentucky. With Brooks transferring, the stress will increase on ahead Jacob Toppin, who additionally examined the draft waters earlier than returning to UK, to tackle a bigger position.

Toppin, who cut up time with Brooks on the 4 final season, will possible compete with sophomore Daimion Collins for the beginning spot alongside Nationwide Participant of the 12 months Oscar Tshiebwe within the Kentucky frontcourt.

Junior Lance Ware is ready to return as Tshiebwe’s major backup.

E-mail Jon Hale at jahale@courier-journal.com; Comply with him on Twitter at @JonHale_CJ.