Malaki Brooks undoubtedly made his mark on the tradition-rich Union City High School basketball program.
He’s hoping to do the same at his next destination.
School Communications Director Mike Hutchens said Brooks’ new hoop home will be Walters State Community College in Morristown, after the Class A Mr. Basketball finalist and Tornado scoring sensation picked the Senators over Dodge City (Kansas) Community College.
The 6-foot shooting guard will join a WSCC program coming off a 29-3 season, including the Senators’ ninth all-time appearance in the national junior college tournament and a No. 17 national ranking.
“They have a lot of history and success, and I believe it’ll be a good place for me to grow and get better,” Brooks said of his recruitment to the East Tennessee school. “When I visited the campus, I liked what I saw and heard from Coach (Jerry) Nichols.
“The other big thing was that it’s close enough to home that my mom can come to some of the games.”
Brooks will take a packed portfolio to Walters State after averaging more than 27 points per game and leading Union City in rebounding, assists, and steals during his recently completed senior campaign, which saw the Tornadoes also win 29 games and qualify for the state tournament.
He set the school’s single-game scoring record with 50 points in the regular-season finale against Huntingdon and scored 1,010 points to highlight a spectacular final year on the prep level.
Brooks tallied 1,865 points for his career and hit for 30 or more 11 times, including 37 in the Twisters’ state tourney loss to eventual champion Chattanooga Prep.
“I really focused on staying healthy this year,” Brooks claimed. “(I) taped and wore braces and had a lot of therapy, too. I knew I had to take care of myself to make it a great year. I really never let the fear of getting hurt again enter my mind.”
Head coach Shane Sisco, who noted how the current college landscape has been greatly affected by the transfer portal and NIL (Name Image Likeness) agreements, believes WSCC will be a good fit for Brooks – and vice versa.
“It’s an opportunity for him to move on to the next level in a top-flight junior college program that fits his talents,” said the Tornado skipper. “They averaged 94 points per game last season and got up and down the floor with a lot of fast-paced transition basketball.
“In a year or two, he can have the opportunity to transfer to a four-year institution and get his education paid for.
“I think the big thing this year was that he knew he had to have a big year to get this opportunity. He did that – mainly because he was able to stay away from injuries. He had a phenomenal year on so many levels, and Walters State is getting a good one.”
Brooks is expected to be named to the Tennessee Sports Writers Association All-State team later this week.
(photo: Charles Choate – 104.9 KYTN/105.7 WQAK)
