Marshon Brooks InterviewBy: Chris Clayton

Providence Senior wing Marshon Brooks is having a breakout senior season, currently 6th in the nation and second in the Big East in scoring at 23.4 ppg. Showing tremendous versatility, his 7.5 rpg is also good for 5th in the Big East. Brooks is considered a potential first round pick for the 2011 draft.

NBADraft.net: How did you first become interested in basketball?

Marshon Brooks: My mother was a basketball player in high school and she was pretty good. My Aunt was a high school and college player. My Aunt was very good and all of my cousins were athletes so I grew up a huge fan of the game and I guess it was pretty much destined for me to be a basketball player.

NBADraft.net: Which player did you grow up emulating?

Marshon Brooks: Kobe Bryant

NBADraft.net: Does being a senior give you an edge over the underclassmen that will enter the draft this year?

Marshon Brooks: Yes because I have been through a lot over the last 4 years of college. I know what it takes to compete at this level and I believe my experience will hopefully allow me to make a smooth transition to the NBA.

NBADraft.net: Are you ready to contribute to an NBA team right away and what type of role do you see yourself playing?

Marshon Brooks: Yes I am ready to contribute. I see myself as an energy player who could come off the bench and score the basketball. I’m a gym rat so I hope to learn early what it takes to succeed at the pro level and at that point I just want to play whatever role an NBA team would want me to play in order to win.

NBADraft.net: What aspect to your game do you feel you need to work on most?

Marshon Brooks: Probably my jump shot and my strength. I would like to put on maybe 15 lbs of muscle so that I can be prepared for the physicality that comes with being an NBA player.

NBADraft.net: What sets you apart from other players?

Marshon Brooks: My work ethic, my love for the game, experience and dedication to being the best player that I can be

NBADraft.net: How were you able to improve your scoring by 10 pts this season?

Marshon Brooks: I spent countless hours working this summer with my trainer Larry Marshall. We spent a lot of time on the beach working on my quickness, strengthening my legs, my conditioning. I also put a lot of time in the weight room and in addition to that we got up 1,000 shots everyday for most of the summer. This was the first summer that I didn’t take a lot of summer classes. My coach told me he needed me to be a leader and that he would need me to improve on my scoring so we laid out a plan that would increase my scoring. Coach told me that I needed to get to the free throw line a lot more if I wanted to be a pro and if we were going to be a good team.

NBADraft.net: You are coming off a big win over #3 ranked Villanova Wednesday. How does it feel to beat back to back top 25 teams after getting off to such a rough start?

Marshon Brooks: It feels great to beat top ranked teams especially for our young players. Wins like the last two will build confidence for our team and hopefully we can keep this winning streak going. The big east is the best conference in college basketball so as a player you value every win you get but to beat two teams as talented as Villanova and Louisville back to back after our start is special

NBADraft.net: How do you feel about your individual/ team performance this season?

Marshon Brooks: Individually I feel like I’m doing pretty well, I’m a senior so I am dedicating every ounce of energy that I have into getting better whether it be by getting shots up, watching film, conversing with my coaches or teammates or spending time in the weight room. To me, my individual goals have not translated as smoothly as I would like because my main individual goal was to put my team in contention for a Big East Championship. Our team performance thus far has been pretty good. We compete every night, we were able to beat some good teams and with the ball bouncing the other way we would have a few more wins. Hopefully we can continue to get better everyday.

NBADraft.net: Which NBA player would you compare your game to?

Marshon Brooks: I’ve heard some comparisons to Jamal Crawford because of my ball handling and some reporters that cover my school have compared me to Kobe Bryant because of the way I lean back on my jumpshot and my approach to the game. Kobe is my favorite player and has been so for a very long time so I study him a lot and try to work as hard as he does. I’m not saying Im anywhere near him but like I said I study him a lot and people who know me say they see some similarities with our approach to the game and preparation.

NBADraft.net: Who is the best player that you have played against?

Marshon Brooks: Lou Williams. We are both from the same area and we have played against each other. He’s such a hard cover. He is quick and can really score the basketball.