[Men's Basketball] Men's Basketball opens season tonight at Concordia - Q & A with James Brooks

The Kansas Wesleyan men's basketball team opens the 2018-19 season against Concordia University (Neb.) tonight in Seward, Neb. Game time is 7 p.m.

The Coyotes were 16-13 a year ago, 14-8 in the Kansas Conference, and qualified for the conference's postseason tournament for the first time since the 2009-10 season.

Several players return and the ranks were bolstered with the addition of a handful of newcomers, including James Brooks (JR/Cherokee, Kan.), a guard from Pratt Community College.

The 6-foot-2 Brooks averaged 13 points last season and is expected to give KWU a potent scoring threat from the perimeter.

Brooks discussed his game, how the Coyotes are progressing and the season opener during an interview Friday. 

Question: How have things gone since your arrival at KWU?

Brooks: It's been great, love the people here, love the campus. It's just good to have a bigger town to enjoy.

Question: What will your role with the Coyotes be?

Brooks: Work hard at all times. (Coach Anthony Monson) wants me to stretch the floor, be a shooter, spot up (and shoot), which is what I like to do. Let the ball fly when I'm open and work hard on the defensive end.

Question: How did you become such an accomplished offensive player?

Brooks: Growing up my high school coach (Doug Barto at Frontenac) told me 'just sitting in your room, roll socks into a ball and toss them into a laundry basket,' just little stuff like that. Shooting a paper ball into a trash can … The repetition, I feel like, has helped get me where I am. Everybody does it, but don't really think it matters. Just the motion.

Question: Did your teachers get angry at you when you did that in school?

Brooks: Sometimes, but if you make it they can't say anything.

Question: What's the biggest basketball adjustment you've had to make since coming to Kansas Wesleyan?

Brooks: Last year at Pratt I played the four (power forward), so adjusting back to guarding guards instead of guarding big men has probably been a struggle, to be honest, because they don't move the same as the forward spot. Just getting back into my natural flow of being a guard. Setting picks, not coming off picks, has been the toughest adjustment.

Question: How has the experience of playing the four spot benefitted you as a guard?

Brooks: Rebounding is easier for sure. Banging with the bigs down low is an advantage, that's what I'm used to. I feel like I do a pretty decent job of rebounding. If you can rebound with the bigs you can rebound with the guards much better.

Question: Did playing the four spot help take the fear away from taking the ball inside?

Brooks: Whenever you're banging with the bigs for an entire season, especially in the Jayhawk Conference, it's not scary any more. You just go face-your-fear-type of thing, I guess.

Question: What did you and your teammates learn from your two scrimmages against Pratt and Cloud County last Monday?

Brooks: We need to move the ball, focus on better passes for sure, because our passing wasn't the greatest. Just calming down, I think we were a little jittery the first time out there. Just relax and do what we do and play like we play in practice. And play together.

Question: Do you feel like things are coming together for the Coyotes?

Brooks: For sure. I feel like this week alone, after that scrimmage, we're looking a lot better than we did Monday night. It was just a jitters-type thing. We're going to come out ready to roll, for sure.

Question: What do you expect from Concordia in the opener?

Brooks:  I don't know a lot about them, but coach has told us they move really well on off-ball screens, they come off those really well expecting to shoot. Pretty much just keep them out of the middle to prevent drive-and-kick situations.

Question: Will the game also be used to see where the team's at and build the chemistry that you'll rely on the rest of the season?

Brooks: Starting off with non-conference games is a good way to prepare for the conference. Get a flow going before conference ball starts. It's definitely a learning process, get comfortable with each other on the floor. Get adjusted and ready for the rest of the season. But, obviously, we're coming out to win right out of the gates.