Garrison Brooks wasn’t going home.

Brooks and the Auburn High School basketball team trailed their rival, Central Phenix City, by a point in the elite eight of the 2017 Alabama Class 7A playoffs. During a timeout with 11.5 seconds left, Brooks — the Tigers’ senior leader — made a simple demand.

“Coach,” Brooks said, “give me the ball.”

He got his wish. Brooks caught the inbound pass, made a spin move and scored with 8.2 seconds on the clock. Central missed its last-second shot, and Auburn moved on to the final four with a 50-49 win.

“When you’ve got that caliber player, that’s what you want: somebody who wants to make the big shot,” said Auburn head coach Chris Brandt, then an assistant under legendary coach Frank Tolbert.

That was Brooks during a decorated high school career. That was Brooks in four seasons playing for one of college basketball’s elite programs.

Now, Brooks is at Mississippi State, playing under his father — assistant coach George Brooks — as a graduate transfer. He’s helped lead the Bulldogs to a 13-6 start as of Thursday, including a strong 4-3 SEC mark.

“I think it’s been a really good experience for me,” Brooks said.

And he’s still willing to take on that closer role for the Bulldogs — or any position Ben Howland and his staff might need.

“If he needs to be the scorer, he’ll go out and do it,” Brandt said. “If they want him to be a defensive player to stop the best player on the team, he’ll go do that. He’s so versatile. Whatever role you need, he will do it.”

‘An amazing player’

Brooks left Auburn High as the school’s all-time leader in blocks, its second-best all-time rebounder and its fifth-best scorer ever. He is one of just two players in Auburn history to finish his high school career with more than 1,000 points and more than 1,000 rebounds.

“He just was an amazing player,” Brandt said. “He was well loved at this school.”

More than a star on the court, Brooks became a “calming voice” on the floor, on the bench or in the locker room. Wise beyond his years, Brooks acted as an extra coach for the Tigers, according to Brandt.

“When he spoke, they all listened to him,” Brandt said. “When things aren’t going the way they should, he was always there to get everybody refocused and back on track.”

Brooks credited his education and maturation to Tolbert, who retired after the 2018 season. He won 770 games in 49 years coaching at Auburn, including 36 seasons coaching the boys team.

Brooks only got to spend a fraction of Tolbert’s time at the school, but he loved the experience.

“I enjoyed every minute of it just because I learned so much from him — not even about basketball, just how to handle myself as a man and how to conduct myself in business,” Brooks said.

So when it came time to make his college choice, Brooks ultimately went with North Carolina, which had its own legendary coach in Roy Williams. But his commitment process was anything but straightforward.

Brooks initially committed to Mississippi State, picking the Bulldogs over the Tar Heels. He signed with MSU on Nov. 9, 2016, but five months later, he was granted a release from his national letter of intent. Brooks signed with North Carolina on May 1, 2017.

In his first two seasons in Chapel Hill, Brooks was part of a UNC team that won 55 games, including three NCAA tournament victories — all under Williams, whom Brooks called “the greatest coach in college basketball history.

“You’ve got so many talented guys, so many guys who have dreams and aspirations of playing in the NBA, but all those dreams are put aside because everybody wants to win right now, and it’s for each other,” Brooks said.

‘A great experience’

George Brooks had one more player to mention.

Speaking with the Starkville Rotary Club on Oct. 4, the longtime Mississippi State assistant went through the Bulldogs’ roster, discussing each player. Eventually, he got to his son.

For the first time, Garrison Brooks was able to play under his father, who has coached at MSU since 2011 after serving as the head coach at Meridian Community College.

“It’s a great experience,” Garrison Brooks said. “I’ll cherish it forever. It’s something that I’ll remember for a very long time. It’s a great thing for the both of us.”

The younger Brooks said George’s presence on the Bulldogs’ staff was the No. 1 thing that set Mississippi State apart when he entered the transfer portal after four seasons and more than 130 games at North Carolina.

The chance to play with other talented players commanded Brooks’ attention, too. He knew the Bulldogs’ roster featured dynamic point guard Iverson Molinar and skilled rebounder Tolu Smith, and he set out to add more talent to the mix.

Brooks contacted Memphis transfer forward D.J. Jeffries, and the two decided to come to Mississippi State, one of the top choices out of high school for both players. Then the duo got former Michigan State guard Rocket Watts and one-time North Carolina State guard Shakeel Moore “on board,” according to Brooks.

In Starkville, Brooks quickly found himself immersed in a different style of basketball. At North Carolina, the 6-foot-9 forward was mostly stationed in the post. The Tar Heels played at a faster pace, and Brooks wasn’t depended on too much for defense.

At Mississippi State, things have changed. The Bulldogs play at a slower pace. Brooks’ role on defense has been emphasized. And he’s able to spot up from the top of the key or the elbow, taking 3s and midrange jumpers whenever he feels comfortable.

“I think it’s a great thing,” Brooks said. “It’s just a little bit different — nothing too crazy.”

‘The future is bright for him’

To Brandt, the things Brooks has been able to do with the Bulldogs should prepare the forward for whatever professional career awaits him.

“By going to State, it makes him more well rounded — hopefully for the NBA but definitely overseas,” Brandt said.

While Brooks hopes to continue playing basketball after college, he’s got another path in mind, too. Brooks wants to be a sports broadcaster, and he’s already completed an internship with the radio station WJOX 94.5 in Birmingham.

“That would be my No. 1 dream,” Brooks said. “To be able to do that, that would be awesome for me.”

No matter what future is in store for Brooks, Brandt said he’s confident his former player will be happy. With an “infectious” personality, Brooks is often there for Brandt more so than the other way around.

“Sometimes when I’m feeling down, that’s what I’ll do: I’ll give him a call — more to pep me up than anything else,” Brandt said. “He’s always upbeat. The future is bright for him, and great things are ahead even if he doesn’t play basketball.”

But Brooks has plenty to accomplish before his college career ends. He said winning a Southeastern Conference championship is the Bulldogs’ main goal, and it’s still achievable barely a third of the way through the SEC slate.

Regardless of that goal, Brooks and the Bulldogs hope to make the NCAA tournament — whether as the SEC’s automatic bid or through an at-large berth. Mississippi State hasn’t made the Big Dance since 2019, and Brooks, who played in six tournament games at UNC, knows how much it would mean.

“It’s awesome,” he said. “I think it’s something that gets everybody going, and everybody loves to do it. It means more to us because we haven’t had that type of success here. That’s why I think we’re so driven right now.”

More than a month remains in the regular season, so there’s plenty of time for the Bulldogs to seal their tournament bid or ultimately fall short. Plenty of tough games — but, at the same time, potential résumé-builders — remain on the schedule: Tennessee, LSU, Alabama, Auburn.

And with Brooks as the elder statesman on a talented roster, Mississippi State feels optimistic about its chances.

“It’s a good thing we’ve got going for ourselves right now,” Brooks said.

Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.