Michigan State Basketball: Pierre Brooks proving to be legit breakout candidate

The Moneyball Pro-Am is back after a two-year hiatus and Michigan State basketball’s Pierre Brooks is impressing.

Although college football is right around the corner, Michigan State basketball fans are getting a nice little fix in late June with the return of the Moneyball Pro-Am.

After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Moneyball is back and Michigan State fans are more than pleased as this makes the offseason fly by, even for just a couple of weeks.

Spartans are partaking in the pro-am and while the rule of thumb is to never put too much stock in these games, there are always some notable storylines that translate over into the upcoming regular season.

One huge talking point after Tuesday’s games is the rise of Pierre Brooks.

The second-year Spartan had a quiet freshman year, averaging 0.9 points and 0.5 rebounds in 3.7 minutes over 25 games. He was lightly used and barely got a taste of college basketball in his first season, but that could soon change. He has worked a lot on his body this offseason and looks to be in great shape and his game looks to be on another level at Moneyball.

With a thin roster heading into the 2022-23 season, Tom Izzo is going to call on Brooks more off the bench to provide a spark and if Tuesday’s performance was any indication of what we can expect from him, the Spartans will be in luck.

Defense at Moneyball is sometimes optional so take this 40-point game with a grain of salt, but an increase in confidence in all three levels of scoring is huge. We already knew he could shoot, but if he can use that strong frame to get to the hoop, he’s going to be a problem.

He’s proving to be a legitimate breakout candidate for the Spartans in year two.

Brooks can be a guy that plays 10-15 minutes off the bench this season, at least, and gives Michigan State a threat to score in all three levels. He could be a 6-8 point per game guy and that honestly would be a great sign for his development as a player.

I’ve said it before, but Brooks will end up being a fan favorite before his MSU career is over.