Senior forward DuShawn Brooks began last week struggling with his shot and searching for answers.
After leading the Youngstown State University men’s basketball team in points on Thursday and Saturday, Brooks was named Horizon League Men’s Basketball Player of the Week and Jambar Player of the Week.
In a press conference on Monday, Brooks said, with a colossal smile on his face, that it feels good to be honored.
“I don’t know what else to say,” Brooks said. “At the end of the day, I got to keep doing what I do.”
During the same press conference, head men’s basketball coach Jerry Slocum said he expects a lot out of Brooks.
“I think early in the year, I think he put some pressure on himself with high expectations, and I think we just got him to slow down a little bit and got him in the gym a little bit more,” Slocum said.
The Penguins began the week at the University of Detroit Mercy and opened Horizon League conference play.
The Penguins trailed by four with barely two minutes on the clock before Brooks sank two of his career-high six 3-point field goals to lift his team to a 64-61 upset.
“All the shots I took were basically open shots,” Brooks said. “I just stay focused on what Coach has been telling me, [and it’s] starting to work.
Brooks continued his hot streak on Saturday against Wright State University in the first half where he compiled 13 of his 17 points in a 63-62 loss.
Slocum said he is happy for Brooks.
“He played great offensively over last week [and] had an opportunity to win two ball games,” Slocum said. “He clearly won us the Detroit game. He was a one-man show in that last four or five minutes. He just made every big shot and every big play.”
Brooks ranks fifth in the Horizon League in 3-point field goal percentage (45.5) and is tied seventh in blocks per game (1.1). He is also averaging 10 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.
Brooks spent two years at Butler County Community College before transferring to YSU. He played in all 30 games last year with one start.
Brooks averaged six points, 3.8 rebounds and 17.3 minutes per game while collecting 21 3-point field goals. He also finished six games in double figures.
