The freshman, a native of Bartow, Fla., had seen playing time in all of the first eight games of the season, in which he logged six points, seven rebounds, and a pair of both assists and steals. It wasn't until game number nine, however, that he heated up.
In Wofford's 88-57 disposal of USCAA member Florida National University on Saturday afternoon, Brooks was in for a career-high seventeen minutes. Shooting 71 percent (5-for-7) from the floor, the freshman scored thirteen points, which along with Lee Skinner's identical mark, was second only to Justin Gordon's fifteen.
"I was very impressed with Derrick Brooks," said head coach Mike Young, whose squad has topped the Palmetto and Pine Sports Network power rankings since the beginning of the season. "Today, I saw a guy out there that can change gears and affect the game with his athleticism...I'm proud of him."
Although the score was only 41-31 at halftime, the Terriers pulled away in the second half. Cruising to a useful triumph, Wofford extended the lead to as much as 35 points, limiting the Conquistadors to 21 percent (6-for-28) from the floor and a mere 3-for-11 from behind the three-point arc.
On the other hand, the Terriers stayed about the same from the floor, as the hung around the 54 percent mark. They were little better on three-pointers in the second half, though, shooting 3-for-10.
Another freshman, Bobby Perez, made his first collegiate bucket with only seconds remaining in the game, which was played in front of nearly 900 fans at the Ben-Jo.
The Terriers will be back in action on Dec. 14, as they will make the trip to Raleigh, N.C., to encounter N.C. State, who is off to an excellent start. This will be the first of three games against major opponents, two of which (West Virginia, Duke) are or had been nationally ranked.
A home contest against the Big South's Charleston Southern on Dec. 17 will balance out the remaining non-conference slate.
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