We are less than 6 weeks away from the tip-off of a new college basketball season, which means that we have plenty of time to start preparing for the action ahead. We will do so via a series of season previews featuring the best players/coaches in the country. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel continues our coverage with NC State G Zoe Brooks, who talked about winning games in March and her expectations for this season.
In 2023 you were named a McDonald’s All-American: which of your fellow honorees impressed you the most (MiLaysia Fulwiley/Hannah Hidalgo/JuJu Watkins/other)? Hannah: I used to play basketball with her when we were younger and it has been cool to see her take off.
You were born/raised in New Jersey: what made you choose NC State? The atmosphere was great and I love Coach Wes Moore. During my official visit he crashed a golf cart: nobody got hurt but I felt I had to come here because we are both goofy.
What makes Wes such a good coach? He has been coaching longer than I have been alive and has always been a winner. He wants me to be the best player I can be and make me a pro.
In your 1st career start you had 14 PTS/12 REB/10 AST in a win over Liberty to become the 2nd woman in school history to record a triple double: where does that rank among the best all-around games of your career? I do not think I played well that night because I did not shoot the ball well and had a few turnovers…but it was still a great accomplishment.
You played in 38 games that season and were named to the conference all-freshman team: how were you able to come in and contribute right from the start? Just trusting my abilities and having a coach who had a lot of trust in me. I played a lot of minutes as a freshman around a bunch of great players, including a couple who are now in the WNBA.
In the 2024 Final 4 you scored 12 PTS in a loss to South Carolina: where does that undefeated national champ Gamecock team rank among the best that you have ever seen? They were pretty good…and still are! We stuck around in the 1st half before they pulled away in the 2nd half. They were not the best shooting team but killed us on the boards and were very athletic.
Last March you were named Most Improved Player in the conference and WBCA All-America Honorable Mention: what did it mean to you to receive such outstanding honors? It was cool but I do not play for accolades. I just want to be the best version of myself and help my team win, but it was still nice to add those to my resume.
You have won a total of 10 postseason games during your 1st 2 years: what is the secret to winning games in March? Play together and trust your plan. It begins in the summer when you build good chemistry, and by March it is about “survive and advance”. If you make a single mistake it could be the end of your season so there is little room for error. You must be disciplined and locked in: you cannot make the same goofy mistakes like you might in November.
Your parents Millie/Maurice attend most of your games: how tight is your family? They do not come to every single game but definitely most: if we play 30 games then at least 1 of my parents will make it to about 25/26. I also have some cousins in Charlotte who come down for some games as well.
What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? My goal is to be ACC POY, win an ACC championship, win a national championship, and go undefeated at home again. It went unnoticed last year (18-0 at home), but that was a crazy accomplishment. We hosted #1 Notre Dame last February and beat them (104-95 in double-OT) so it would be nice to do that for our fans.
