brooks to oregon

socalogo.gif (8739 bytes)
SoCalHoops Recruiting News

Aaron Brooks To Oregon, UCLA Misses;
Wilkes At UCLA This Week--(Sept. 18, 2002)

We always hate to report when a local school is reported to have missed out on a recruit that they really seemed to have wanted, but apparently that's just what happened yesterday when Aaron Brooks reportedly commited to the University of Oregon yesterday. While we are not aware of any published reports which claim to have spoken directly to Brooks to confirm the verbal commitment, the Los Angeles Times, in a small blurb on page 3 this morning noted that Brooks had committed to Oregon.

Brooks, a 5'-10" very slight, but quick, slashing point guard from Seattle, Washington, visited UCLA last spring on an official visit. He attended ABCD Camp this summer where we saw him on several occasions, and he was also a member of the United States National Junior Men's team which was coached by Oregon head coach Ernie Kent. UCLA head coach Steve Lavin had followed the Junior Men's team down to Venezuela for the COPABA Tournament during the last week and a half of July (which is why the participants on that team, like David Padgett weren't seen at the adidas Las Vegas Big Time this summer), but apparently the attention given to Brooks by Kent, as well as the evident opportunity to become the heir-apparent to Luke Ridenour, and the chance perhaps for more early and steady playing time at Oregon, were all thought to be what clinched the deal for the Ducks.

UCLA also lost out this past summer with Marcus Williams, who was also being recruited as a point guard in a potential three-guard backcourt offense. Williams recently committed to UConn and has transferred to Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia for his senior season.

It is unclear who else UCLA is recruiting as a pure point guard in the class of 2003, but we do know for a fact that the Bruins will have Omar Wilkes (6'-3" Sr. G) on campus this weekend for an official visit. It is thought by many that Wilkes has the potential to play the point position in college; our own feeling, having known him for some time now and having watched many of his games over the years, is that he's a pure guard...someone who knows how to handle the ball, has a great feel for the game, can shoot it, can slash, bring the ball up under pressure and who is a smart player with good offensive skills and a great feel for defense. In short, we don't know if he's a point, a shooter, or a "combo" (our cop-out position), but we know he can flat-out play. Wilkes is currently also considering Kansas (which offered him last spring while he was on an official visit to Lawrence), Stanford, which he will visit the following weekend, and Cal, which Omar visited last weekend. According to Wilkes himself, when recently asked which schools he was considering, he listed, in the following order: "UCLA, Cal, Stanford and Kansas," but he refused to identify which was his "favorite." Omar expects to take his visit to Stanford and will then be in a position to make a decision sometime prior to the early signing period this November.