What is Durral Brooks most looking forward to at Michigan? Interacting with young U-M fans

Grand Rapids Catholic Central’s Durral Brooks interacts with teammates during a scrimmage in the fall of 2021. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - When Durral Brooks got to school on Monday morning, he couldn’t walk through the hallways without someone saying hello.

“There were lot of people coming up to me congratulating me,” Brooks said. “A lot of teachers, too. Then I had like three or four people from the media doing interviews with me, too.”

The Grand Rapids Catholic Central junior committed to play basketball at the University of Michigan on Sunday.

“I’m really happy for him,” Catholic Central coach T.J. Meerman said. “He’s gonna get a great education. He’s a really good student. He gets a lot of A’s and B’s and teachers here love to have him in class. He works really hard. They respect that about him. He’s not here just to be an athlete.”

Grand Rapids Catholic Central’s Durral Brooks puts up a shot against South Christian on Feb. 21, 2023. Brooks averaged 20.4 points per game last season. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).

Michigan is one of the elite basketball programs in the country, has a huge fan base and the team is coached by Juwan Howard. 

So what is Brooks most looking forward to?

“I’d say interacting with the little kids and the fan base,” he said. “I want little kids asking me for autograph and wanting to take photos. I was a little kid once. So I know what its like to take a photo with someone and how big of a deal that is.”

Brooks had college offers from Michigan, Michigan State, Butler, Dayton, Western Michigan, Toledo, Oakland, Southern Indiana and Grand Valley State.

He said he called some of the coaches to let them know of his decision.

“I called some of them,” Brooks said. “Coach (Tom) Izzo didn’t answer when I called. But I called TK (assistant coach Thomas Kelley) and I’m sure he told Coach Izzo. They were kind of bummed because you spend a lot of time recruiting a player and he doesn’t commit. But they were happy for me.”

Grand Rapids Catholic Central’s Durral Brooks, center/right, poses with his family during Senior Day for his brother Jorden Brooks on Feb. 24, 2022. Jorden now plays basketball at Ferris State. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).

His family is happy, too. 

“They were very excited,” Brooks said of his parents, Eric and Nicole Tatum-Brooks. “A majority of my family are Michigan fans. So now they can make just a two-hour drive to see me play.”

Brooks, a 6-foot-2 guard, averaged 20.4 points and 5.8 rebounds last season for Catholic Central. He doesn’t shoot many 3-pointers, but Meerman said that will come.

“That’s part of the process,” Meerman said. “He didn’t take many jumpers as a freshman, then we worked on his mid-range game. Last year - he’s such an aggressive downhill player - one of his strengths is finishing at the rim. So he didn’t shoot a lot of threes. But when he did, he shot about 37 percent. So before he gets to Michigan, he’ll have to work on that a little bit.”

Meerman, who played basketball at Central Michigan, said Brooks is suited for the Big Ten.

“When you look at most freshman in the Big Ten, it’s a physical league,” he said. “It’s tough to adjust to that level. But with his body type and his play, he’ll do well on the defensive end. He’ll benefit from the shot clock, too, because he likes to play at a faster pace.”  

Brooks said he plans to major in business at Michigan.

Grand Rapids Catholic Central’s Durral Brooks sets up a play during a game against South Christian on Jan. 24, 2023. (Photo | Lenny Padilla).