Decision wouldnt be easy
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Auburn (Ala.) High sophomore forward Garrison BrooksClick [rl]Here to view this Link. could end up with a difficult decision to make.
He could stay close to his home and his mother for college at Auburn, or venture out with his father, an assistant basketball coach at Mississippi State. Brooks already has both options.
Brooks, 6-foot-9 and 215 pounds, has early offers from both Auburn and Mississippi State. Having family at each of the two SEC schools could certainly work in their favor.
"It's a positive for each of them," Brooks said. "At Mississippi State, I'm close to my dad. At Auburn, I'm close to my mom. Both would be good situations for me."
Brooks also has offers from Alabama and UAB, and interest from several others including Vanderbilt and Georgia. He plans to visit as many schools as possible before making a decision, and that includes nearby Auburn.
Tuesday night he made the short drive to Auburn Arena for the Tigers' game against Alabama. The Tigers led at halftime, but ultimately fell to a hot-shooting Tide team, 79-68.
A sold-out crowd was there to see it, and it was one of the things that stood out to Brooks the most.
"It was a good game," Brooks said. "But the atmosphere, it was great. I really liked the atmosphere, the enthusiasm of the crowd.
"There were a lot of people there. The students and the fans, everybody was real loud. I really liked that."
Brooks thinks the students and fans are still a year away from having more wins to be loud about. He sees the potential the Tigers have under first-year coach Bruce Pearl.
"He's a great person and a great coach," Brooks said. "This year, he is a few players short and needs a little more experience, but I think he will have Auburn in the (NCAA) Tournament next year. They had a good signing class. They'll be good."
Brooks certainly will be keeping a close eye on the Tigers. Although he doesn't list any favorites, Brooks did list several things he likes about Auburn.
"There's a lot I like about Auburn," Brooks said. "I like Auburn, the school. I like that it's close to home, and that they offered me early. I think they were the first to offer me.
"I like Coach Pearl and Coach (Chuck) Person. I talk mostly to Coach Person. I like him a lot. He is a real good guy and a real good coach, too. He stresses defense, teaches good defense, and then we know he can shoot. They call him the 'Rifleman' for a reason."
Brooks doesn't plan to make an early decision. He has a lot to think about and places to go.
"I'm wide open," he said. "I haven't had a chance to visit a lot of places. I'm just trying to build relationships and see as many schools as I can."
In 27 games this season as a sophomore, Brooks averaged 14.6 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game, according to MaxPreps.com.
Check out Brooks' 2014-15 season highlights…
