PHILADELPHIA – As the July recruiting periods begin to unfold, Eli Brooks is beginning to pick up interest from high-major programs.
The Class of 2017 point guard from Spring Grove (Pa.) High School and the Jersey Shore Warriors AAU program recently visited Ohio State, Michigan and Villanova, all of which came aboard after a strong spring on the AAU circuit. Brooks said none of those three schools have offered yet.
The national-champion Wildcats, who are located approximately 100 miles west from Spring Grove, are an especially-intriguing program for the 6-foot-1 guard.
“My dad’s a North Carolina fan and I’m a Villanova fan, so we had a good time watching that game,” Brooks joked Wednesday evening after the Warriors opened the Elevate Hoops Summer Icebreaker with a win over Team AJ Price at Philadelphia University’s Gallagher Center.
“Villanova is my dream school. Villanova has been my dream school since I was real young.”
Brooks’ productive spring has given way to the notion that he is on line for a big summer. Should that come to fruition, the slew of mid-majors that got involved with Brooks early in the recruiting process will have plenty of company.
On Wednesday evening, new Drexel head coach Zach Spiker, Colgate head coach Matt Langel, Bucknell head coach Nathan Davis, and Monmouth assistant Rick Callahan were among those surrounding Court 1 at Gallagher.
“I know schools are here watching me, and they’re here watching me for a reason, so I don’t try to change anything in my game,” he said. “I’m just trying to do the same things that got me the exposure in the first place.”
The Hawks were among the first schools to offer Brooks in Sept. 2015.
“Callahan texts me a lot, and Coach (Sam) Ferry texts me a lot,” Brooks said. “They’ve maintained contact. I talk to Coach (King) Rice a lot, too. They let their players play and it’s fun to watch.”
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