Malcolm Brooks Leaves Pepperdine
By Josh Horton
Jan 16, 2014; Malibu, CA, USA; Pepperdine Waves guard Malcolm Brooks (15) drives past Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Kyle Dranginis (3) in the second half at Firestone Fieldhouse. Gonzaga defeated Pepperdine 70-53. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Fielding-USA TODAY Sports
According to a report from the Pepperdine men’s basketball twitter account, future senior guard Malcolm Brooks will not be returning to the team next season.
This comes as a bit of a shock, consider Brooks was projected to be a significant contributor for the Waves this upcoming year.
In terms of motives, Brooks is expected to attempt and play closer to home. He should be eligible immediately.
Wilson: “Malcolm is a quality young man and we’re sorry that he won’t be back. I expect he will try to play his final year closer to home.”
— Pepperdine Men’s Basketball (@PeppBasketball) May 2, 2014
Brooks is a native of Brooklyn, New York, so a move to the northeast would not be a surprise.
He is the third Wave to transfer out of Pepperdine, with Jeff Van Dyke and Austin Mills being the other two.
The 6-5 guard played very well for the Waves last season, especially in the middle portion of the season. He averaged 10.3 points and 2.6 rebounds last season, and strung together two 20-plus point performances in back-to-back wins versus San Diego and BYU.
Brooks was ranked as third best small forward in the WCC this past season. You can take a look at the whole list here.
When it comes to a replacement, soon-to-be senior Atif Russell will be looked upon to pick up a lot of the slack. Lamond Murray Jr., who showed flashes of brilliance as a freshman, could shine in an expanded role on the wing. Freshmen A.J. John and Shawn Olden will now fill in between those two and starters Amadi Udenyi and Jeremy Major.