Roundtable: What to expect from sophomore Keion Brooks

While everyone will be talking about the incoming freshmen and Olivier Sarr as well as how much Kentucky loses from the 2019-20 season, Keion Brooks could be poised for a very important sophomore season.

Here Cats Illustrated writers answer the question: What kind of sophomore season should we expect from Keion Brooks?

Travis Graf: Keion Brooks Jr. can have a PJ Washington-esque freshman to sophomore year jump without putting up the numbers that Washington did in 2019. Brooks can affect the game in similar ways and can make a similar jump in production. The Fort Wayne native needs to focus on spot up shooting from the outside, as it will help Kentucky’s spacing and boost his stock long-term. Brooks shot an abysmal 26-percent from the outside on less than one attempt per game in 2020. I look for those numbers to jump to 30 to 35 percent on multiple attempts per game next season. If Brooks can provide the ‘Cats a consistent inside-outside threat at the ‘four’ spot, the flow of Kentucky’s offense will be a thing of beauty with the weapons that Kentucky has on the wings.

Jeff Drummond: I think the No. 1 thing that Keion can do in order to take another step forward is to continue developing his body and getting stronger. The skills are there. Added strength will help give him the confidence to make full use of those skills. One of the things that surprised me during his freshman season was that Brooks only recorded six assists. His ability to see the floor and run the offense as something of a "point forward" was one of my favorite things about him during the AAU circuit.

Justin Rowland: I think he's going to be a very nice player for Kentucky this year. If I had to guess on his averages I would say seven or eights points and five rebounds. I really like his rebounding ability. He wasn't always great working the glass but there were stretches during the season when you could tell he just had an instinct for tracking the ball and getting to it quickly. I wouldn't imagine Brooks will be the kind of guy who goes and creates a lot of his own offense but between put backs, mid-range jump shots, and occasionally navigating the baseline or through traffic to score near the rim he'll be crafty and much more consistent. We saw flashes of a nice jump shot, too. I envision him ultimately becoming a Darius Miller type player in terms of impact and somewhat in terms of style though not identical if he sticks around long enough. He was such a factor down the stretch in Gainesville, it's hard not to think we're going to see more of that this year.