Completed Event: Men's Basketball versus DePaul on February 7, 2026 , Win , 90, to, 72
Men's Basketball
vs DePaul
Final
90
-
72
Providence College Athletics
Mr. Brooks Wild Ride
10/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 28, 2009
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - No one said that preparing for a future in professional basketball would be easy.
Prospective players are bombarded with advice on how to improve their defense, shooting and conditioning, and the sheer level of competition a player faces to make it in the world's best basketball leagues is enough to overwhelm even the toughest of athletes. To ease this difficult process, a number of camps and workshops are held around the country to mentor student-athletes on how to take their games to the next level. For Providence College junior Marshon Brooks, making it to the training facility provided the biggest challenge.
This past summer, Brooks was invited to attend the Paul Pierce Skills Academy, a Nike-sponsored training workshop to teach the country's top collegiate and high school basketball combo guard/forwards the skills and mental preparation needed to make it at the professional level. Attendees at the camp included top-level college players Greivis Vasquez (Maryland), Manny Harris (Michigan), Patrick Christopher (Cal) and E'Twaun Moore (Purdue). For Brooks, the session presented a golden opportunity to showcase his game with some of the best talent in the nation and learn from one of the NBA's biggest stars in the process. The catch was, Brooks didn't hear about the opportunity until the day the event began.
On June 28, two of the Nike Skills Academy organizers contacted Friar Assistant Coach Pat Skerry to notify him of a last-minute opening at the Paul Pierce event. They had discussed a number of options and determined Brooks would be a great fit at the Academy. Skerry immediately contacted Brooks and told him the camp was a valuable opportunity, but he only had three hours to make it to the event facility in Waltham, Mass., if he wanted to participate.
Marshon scrambled to find a ride to the facility and began the trip with less than two hours until the beginning of the camp. Battling traffic, "friendly" New England drivers and all of the other headaches that come with taking the trip from Providence to Boston on I-95, Brooks finally made it to Waltham and was suited up and ready to go with five minutes to spare before the workout began. It was a close call, but for Brooks, the experience at the Academy was well worth nerve-wracking trip.
"The Paul Pierce Academy was the highlight of my summer," Brooks said. "It really helped me take my game to the next level. I made friends from around the world and it really helped my chances of fulfilling my dream to play in the NBA."
Brooks and the nine other college players invited participated in five training sessions over the three-day camp from June 28 to June 30.The sessions focused on developing advanced offensive skills, including how to handle double-teams, getting open shots, reading screens and developing better ball control.
The players were mentored by former NBA coaches and players during the sessions, and Brooks benefited greatly from working with former Cleveland Cavaliers guard/forward Craig Ehlo.
"Craig gave me pointers on my jump shot and showed me that I tend to change my shot in different situations," Brooks said. "He told me I should make the most out of every shot, hold my follow-through and more shots will fall for me."
In addition to his work with Ehlo, Marshon also had the opportunity to match up one-on-one with Pierce himself. The eight-time NBA All-Star played tight defense on Brooks, making him work to find open shots while denying him the ball. Pierce also spent time with Brooks and the other college players, stressing the importance of developing the proper workout and conditioning regimen necessary to compete at the professional level.
"It was a great experience, just to learn from an All-Star like Paul that's going to be selected to the [Naismith Memorial] Hall of Fame," Brooks said.
Skerry, who is actively involved in the Nike Skills Academy program, appreciates the work that Paul and his staff do and values the advice that instructors other than a player's regular coaches provide to young players.
"Guys get tired of hearing the same thing from the same voices. It's just natural," Skerry said. "Any time you can get your guys around other teachers and they hear a different voice, that's always going to help them. It helps reinforce what you've been trying to do with them."
After Brooks left the Paul Pierce Skills Academy, Skerry heard nothing but compliments from the Nike staff.
"Those guys were really impressed with him, really impressed with his talent and potential," Skerry said. "If he can refine his game and become more disciplined, he has a chance to be really, really good. He can play with that level of guys. He more than held his own."
Brooks has already seen improvements in his offensive game since Providence practices began again in October. Instead of always driving to the rim and possibly getting a charge call, Marshon has learned how to shoot off the dribble and pull up for an easy jumper instead.
That type of skill is a key to success in Providence Head Coach Keno Davis' high-octane offensive system. As one of the top returners for the Friars this season, Brooks will be counted upon to use what he learned over the summer to become a leader on the offensive end of the floor. He averaged 10.6 points per game in 2008-09 and scored at least 14 points in 11 games, including an impressive 30-point effort against Sacred Heart.
Coach Skerry and the rest of the Friars' staff are confident that these type of offensive games will become the norm for Brooks as he develops into a veteran BIG EAST player in his junior and senior seasons.
"He has a chance to be a very difficult matchup because we're going to run and he's going to see the open floor," Skerry said. "If he continues to work and build on what he's done over the summer, Marshon has a chance to be a real prolific scorer here."
Brooks is ready to begin his junior season at Providence in the always difficult BIG EAST Conference, and after surviving his whirlwind trip to the Paul Pierce Skills Academy this summer, Marshon is definitely up for the challenge.
Players Mentioned
Guard/Forward
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