By Mike Hutchens, UC Schools Communications Director
An elite Union City basketball fraternity got a new member today.
Malaki Brooks joined five other past Tornado hoop standouts when he was named as a finalist for Class 1A Mr. Basketball by a statewide panel of sports media.
A sharpshooting senior guard who has led the Purple and Gold to a 22-5 record and No. 3 state ranking this season, Brooks joined Jordan McCullum of Harriman and Hillcrest’s Jordan Allen as finalists for this year’s prestigious award. The winner will be announced during ceremonies on Mar. 12 at the Murphy Center in Murfreesboro at 5 p.m.
Brooks is now part of a short Who’s Who list in Tornado hoop history that includes Stanley Caldwell (1991, 92), Marquis Weddle (2006), M.J. Brown (2007, 08), Marcus DeBerry (2015), and Parker Stewart (2017). Both Caldwell (AA), and Brown (A) were two-time winners of the award, while Weddle – the program’s all-time leading scorer – was chosen for the Single-A honor in the year he was a finalist.
The award is based on regular-season play. Coaches and select media members from across the state are allowed a vote before a group of nine sports writers and broadcasters representing the different geographic regions determine the finalists and winners.
Brooks – a slender scoring machine for Union City – has certainly proven to be worth consideration for the distinguished award.
He’s averaged 27 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.7 steals per game this season. Those totals include double-figure scoring in every game, including ten contests with 30 or more.
Brooks erupted for 47 points in the Tornadoes’ second meeting against state-ranked (3A) Dyer County – matching the program’s single-game scoring record. He’s made 111 3-pointers heading into tonight’s regular-season finale and needs just six more points to reach 1,600 for his career.
The 6-foot guard has shot 51.5 percent from 2-point range, 40.7 percent from beyond the 3-point arc, and 81.5 percent from the free-throw line.
Brooks has been at his best against UC’s toughest competition, upping his ppg average to 29.9, his rebounds to 7.5, and his steals to 3 in 17 games vs. teams in larger classifications. Nine of his 30-point outings have come against that top-quality competition.
His playing time has been greatly reduced in District 14A play due to the Twisters winning seven of 10 games by the mercy rule. For the year, Brooks is averaging 25 minutes per game.
The other finalists also boast impressive credentials.
The 6-7 McCullum plays for the state’s top-ranked one-loss team and is a Murray State signee. He has averaged 28 points, 15 rebounds, seven blocks, and six assists each game while playing both guard and forward.
Like Brooks, McCullum has been at his best when it’s mattered most – averaging 32 points, 17 rebounds, eight blocks, and seven assists in his team’s eight biggest games.
Allen was a finalist last season and was the leading scorer in Memphis in all classifications this season, hitting at a 32.3 ppg clip. He also was the top assist man in the Bluff City, averaging 7.5 per game, and snatched 6.8 steals per outing.
Allen has shot 50 percent from the field and 80 percent from the foul line.
The ceremony to announce the winners on Mar. 12 is open to the public.