Marshon Brooks hesitated when asked about his season thus far. He thinks about the breakout year he is having — the best of his career — but he looks beyond personal success.

Brooks also thinks about the state of his team — and that is where the story sours.

‘I always knew I could score, but my goal coming into the season was to actually try to average 20 points a game,’ Brooks said. ‘And I see that I’m better than what I thought I was.’

Brooks, a senior guard for Providence, is pouring in more than 20 points per game, but his Friars remain in the Big East basement. He is attracting national attention on an individual level despite the ongoing struggles of the Providence team overall.

He can’t deny how great of a season he’s having.

‘I think if we would have won a lot more like the past, like my last year, where I averaged (14.2) points a game, I would have got more recognition preseason,’ Brooks said. ‘But I’m starting to get a lot of recognition now.’

That recognition comes from being the third leading scorer in the nation. His 23.6 points per game trail only Jimmer Fredette of BYU and Kemba Walker of Connecticut. He leads all scorers in Big East play with 24.6 points per game.

But despite Brooks as its bright spot, the team continues to perform poorly. And that is the reason for Brooks’ hesitation when asked about success. His numbers alone aren’t enough to win games, as seen by the Friars’ 1-6 record in Big East play.

In Providence’s first six games of league play (all losses), Brooks led the team in scoring. He had 27 points in the conference opener. Team highs of 20, 28, 29, 13 and 28 followed.

‘He’s become an all-around player and modified his game so that he can rebound, defend,’ Providence head coach Keno Davis said. ‘And then as one of the nation’s top scorers, he hasn’t just been a shooter but somebody that can get to the free-throw line.’

He’s basically had to do it all.

But that ability to do just about everything has been a bit surprising. Although Brooks averaged 14.2 points per game last year, there was little attention surrounding him coming into the season. And not just because of the lack of success on his team.

‘One of the great stories in the Big East is somebody that came in, even as a senior to Big East media day, and not many people were talking about him,’ Davis said. ‘And he wasn’t on anybody’s first, second, third team. And then for him to have this kind of season, I think it shows a credit to him and his work ethic and his attitude coming into the year.’

Davis, though, predicted a jump in Brooks’ scoring with nine freshmen on the Friars’ roster. But he couldn’t have predicted just how dominant he has been. Brooks leads the team in field goals made, 3-pointers made and free throws made and is tied for rebounds per game.

But the buzz around Brooks on a national level is still less than it normally would be. He knows it’s because his team hasn’t won many games.

Those thoughts are echoed by Brooks’ teammate Vincent Council. But Council, the team’s second-leading scorer, said the positive effect Brooks has on the team shouldn’t be overlooked. Even with its dismal record.

‘He just shows leadership on the floor,’ Council said. ‘He (makes) everybody stronger. He (helps) our scoring. Leadership off the court and on the court. In practice, he shows leadership to help us get better.’

Brooks said he is playing more confidently and aggressively, which accounts for his trips to the free-throw line. But ultimately, he knows not just what he needs to stay focused on but also what his team needs to do to pick up some wins: rebounding and effort plays.

If his team wins, maybe Brooks won’t hesitate so much about his individual accomplishments. Maybe he’ll be able to appreciate his achievements without having to focus on the overwhelming silver lining.

‘People know about Marshon Brooks,’ Davis said. ‘And I know his focus right now is for us to see how many games we can win and then for him individually to keep improving on his game.

‘For him to play at that high level and keep his numbers up there has been a pleasant surprise for me.’

Big man on campus

Corey Fisher, guard, Villanova

Fisher had a game-high 28 points in Villanova’s 61-59 loss to then-No. 8 Connecticut on Jan. 17. Against Syracuse on Saturday, he added 16 points and a team-high seven assists. He averages 16.1 points a game, good for seventh in the Big East.

Game to watch

No. 21 Georgetown at No. 8 Villanova, Saturday, Noon

Villanova split two Big East games last week against Top 10 teams, beating Syracuse while falling to Connecticut. Georgetown has a Wednesday game against St. John’s, where it will look to win its third straight Big East game following a slow start to conference play. Villanova plays Providence on Wednesday before facing the Hoyas.

Saturday’s game will be a matchup of teams fueled by their guards. For Villanova, it’s the Coreys (Fisher and Stokes) who both average over 15 a game. Georgetown’s Austin Freeman averages nearly 18.5 points a game, and Chris Wright averages 5.5 assists per game. May the better backcourt win.

rnmarcus@syr.edu

Published on January 25, 2011 at 12:00 pm

Contact Rachel: rnmarcus@syr.edu