# Keion Brooks Jr.

Keion Lee Brooks Jr. (born August 7, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Birmingham Squadron of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats.

## High school career

Brooks played basketball for North Side High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana. As a sophomore, he averaged 20.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, leading his team to the Class 4A state title game. For his senior season, Brooks transferred to La Lumiere School in La Porte, Indiana. He played alongside future NBA player Isaiah Stewart and helped his team to a GEICO Nationals runner-up finish. As a senior, Brooks averaged 20.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. He was selected to play in the Jordan Brand Classic.

### Recruiting

Brooks was considered a five-star recruit by Rivals and 247Sports, and a four-star recruit by ESPN. On March 15, 2019, he committed to playing college basketball for Kentucky over offers from Indiana, Michigan State and North Carolina.
College recruiting information :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Keion Brooks Jr. SF | Fort Wayne, IN | La Lumiere (IN) | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Mar 15, 2019 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 89 ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 29 247Sports: 14 ESPN: 36 ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Kentucky 2019 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 20, 2021. "2019 Kentucky Wildcats Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 20, 2021. "2019 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 20, 2021. ||||||

## College career
### Kentucky

As a freshman at Kentucky, Brooks averaged 4.5 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. He missed the first nine games of his sophomore season with a leg injury. On February 6, 2021, Brooks posted a season-high 23 points and 11 rebounds in an 82–71 loss to Tennessee. As a sophomore, he averaged 10.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game. On January 29, 2022, Brooks scored a career-high 27 points in an 80–62 victory against Kansas. As a junior, he averaged 10.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. On April 4, 2022, Brooks declared for the 2022 NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility.

### Washington

Instead of returning to Kentucky, Brooks decided to enter the transfer portal. On June 6, 2022, Brooks committed to the University of Washington. He averaged 17.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game as a senior. Brooks returned for his fifth season of eligibility. He was named to the First Team All-Pac-12 at the conclusion of the regular season.

## Professional career
### New Orleans Pelicans / Birmingham Squadron (2024–present)

After going undrafted in the 2024 NBA draft, Brooks joined the New Orleans Pelicans for the 2024 NBA Summer League and on September 24, 2024, he signed with the team. However, Brooks was waived on October 16 and on October 28, he joined the Birmingham Squadron.
On January 9, 2025, Brooks signed a two-way contract with the Pelicans. He made his NBA debut on February 5 against the Denver Nuggets, playing 3 minutes. On February 10 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Brooks played 7 minutes and scored his first 4 career points.

## Career statistics
### College

| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
| 2019–20 | Kentucky | 31 | 6 | 15.1 | .472 | .263 | .630 | 3.2 | .2 | .4 | .4 | 4.5 |
| 2020–21 | Kentucky | 16 | 3 | 23.6 | .441 | .214 | .795 | 6.8 | 1.6 | .6 | .8 | 10.3 |
| 2021–22 | Kentucky | 33 | 33 | 24.5 | .491 | .233 | .783 | 4.4 | 1.0 | .7 | .6 | 10.8 |
| 2022–23 | Washington | 30 | 30 | 35.5 | .433 | .286 | .794 | 6.7 | 1.4 | .7 | 1.2 | 17.7 |
| 2023–24 | Washington | 32 | 32 | 35.0 | .487 | .380 | .794 | 6.8 | 1.4 | .7 | .8 | 21.1 |
| Career | Career | 142 | 104 | 27.0 | .466 | .313 | .784 | 5.4 | 1.1 | .6 | .8 | 13.1 |

## Personal life

Brooks' father, Keion Sr., played college basketball for Wright State. Brooks has served on the National Association of Basketball Coaches Player Development Coalition, as well as the Southeastern Conference Leadership Council and Council on Racial Equity and Social Justice.