Franklin's Brooks wakes up in time to take center stage

TACOMA — The first game of the Class 4A state high-school boys basketball tournament, 9 a.m., the syrup settling, the fans filing in, nothing much happening as Franklin and Bethel miss one shot after the other.

"Everyone was dead. I was dead," said Aaron Brooks. "Being a leader, it was up to me to make something happen."

So, as Washington Coach Lorenzo Romar was taking his seat, Brooks knifed head-long through the Bethel defense. With his body nearly parallel to the floor and his head nearly under the basket, he reached far to his right, flipping the ball off the glass and through the basket.

A roar arose in the cavernous Tacoma Dome: the tournament was on, Franklin racing to a 71-55 win and Brooks showing the skills that make him the state's best player, 3A or 4A.

A point guard to die for.

Playing just 24 minutes, Brooks scored 18 points, grabbed seven rebounds, had four assists and got all over Bethel's sophomore guard, Jordan Sutton, limiting him to four points and 2-for-10 shooting.

There was a reason Brooks was the fifth player in state history to be named a McDonald's All-American, his ability to pass, score and defend, despite being at least an inch shorter than his listed height of 6 feet, despite playing in the same city with the Stewart twins, Rodrick and Lodrick.

If the twins got a lot of the attention this year, next season it may belong to Brooks. He'll be starting at the point for Oregon if Pac-10 Player of the Year Luke Ridnour enters the NBA draft as expected.

"I wish he would stay," said Brooks after his team's win over Bethel. "I could learn from him, but if he leaves, I'll have to take that role."

Ridnour and Brooks are two who got away, but not the only ones.

Ridnour was the floppy-haired unknown from the border town of Blaine who drew comparisons with the heroes in the movie "Hoosiers."

"We're different," Brooks said. "He is more of a pull-up three-point shooter, while my game is more taking it to the hole."

But both handle the ball as if they were born with it, both take over the game with their sheer speed, fearlessness and uncanny recognition of where everyone else is on the court.

"One of the reasons I picked Oregon," Brooks said, "is that they develop their players. People talked about Ridnour (when he was in high school), but nobody in the CD (Central District of Seattle) respected him. Everybody said if he played in Seattle he wouldn't do anything."

Nobody is saying that now, of course, not after Ridnour led the Pac-10 in assists and was second in scoring. What they are talking about is Brooks taking his place.

The defectors. First there was Jason Terry. Then Curtis Borchardt. Ridnour. And now Brooks, as well as the twins.

"The U-Dub," said Brooks, almost wistfully, "that's the home school. I love the U-Dub."

He also developed a keen appreciation for Romar in the short time the two got to know one another.

"He's a real nice guy who is going to get things turned around," said Brooks.

But Romar will have to do it without Brooks. Why?

For one thing, Brooks was taken with Oregon. While he was being recruited, the Ducks were winning the Pac-10 championship and Ridnour, a sophomore, was running wild.

Ernie Kent, the Oregon coach, also coached a U.S. junior national team that Brooks played on in Venezuela.

"He trusted me," said Brooks of Kent. "In one game, we were behind by a point and he told me to shoot the ball. He put the game in my hands."

Oregon was a known.

"Their program was set," said Brooks.

Washington, on the other hand, had just fired its coach. Ironically, it wasn't so much that Brooks didn't think the Huskies would ever be any good that turned him away, but his concern over playing time.

"There was something very appealing about going to Washington," he said. "but I wondered how I would fit in there.

"There was always going to be drama, some kind of conflict going on. Everybody wants to play."

The Huskies had Curtis Allen, Will Conroy, Charles Frederick, Nate Robinson, Brandon Roy and C.J. Massingale. Massingale has since said he will transfer and Frederick has chosen to play football. But Romar has added JC scoring machine Tre Simmons.

The problem is none of them, not even Conroy, are true point guards, as Brooks is.

"There are a lot of guys who can handle the ball, but only a few who can run a team," said Romar. "Aaron is as good a kid as you'll ever find. He can make everyone else better, or, if you need him to, take over a game."

In the early morning, he took over the game. Driving, slashing, lobbing the ball to Darryl Taylor, splitting the defense with a pass on the baseline to Ricky Washington.

A player to wake up to.

Blaine Newnham: 206-464-2364 or bnewnham@seattletimes.com