Elijah Brooks leads Topeka West hoops: 'If I don’t let him play, if I bottle him up, we don’t win'

Some high school basketball players get one chance at a really good year, or maybe even two. Special players might get the spotlight for three years.

But Topeka West’s Elijah Brooks is one of those rare players who is getting four. The senior is off to a great start as one of the top basketball stars in Kansas.

Brooks has been synonymous with Topeka West hoops ever since he led the team with a 10.5 points-per-game average as a freshman. All-league, All-City and All-State honors started pouring in and haven’t stopped for the 6-foot-4 senior.

It’s been a rare experience to be so good, so young, and for so long. But Brooks is quick to point out that the best part of the journey has been the connections made along the way.

“It’s really about the people that I’m around and the energy that they bring,” Brooks said. “Having those people around me, supporting me, that really keeps me motivated.”

Since his days as a talented but inexperienced freshman, Brooks has played alongside all-state caliber players like Tre Alexander and Marque Wilkerson.

Brooks eager after injury-filled season

Under coach Rick Bloomquist, the program progressed from a losing season in Brooks’ freshman year to a berth in the 5A state championship game last March. Brooks battled injuries his junior year, missing four games and parts of others. At times, he could do little more than cheer on his teammates.

“Winning was good, but being injured definitely sucked,” Brooks said. “Watching the team play, I was eager to get out there and play every time, because I knew I could help my team win. But at the end of the day, I trusted (my teammates), that they could go out there and win when I did have to sit out. It was bittersweet.”

Back at full strength for the playoffs, Brooks erupted for 24 points in the state semifinal win over De Soto. But in the final contest, he was limited to just three points, and the Chargers succumbed to Maize.

“Losing that championship is like fuel to the fire,” Brooks said. “All of our guys want to go back there.”

Having played more than 60 varsity games for Topeka West, Brooks brings immense experience to the team. With the graduation of Alexander and Wilkerson from last year’s club, the mantle of leadership was inevitably passed to Brooks. He said he is comfortable with that role.

“I was prepared by Tre and Marque. They raised me right,” Brooks said. “They set a good example of how to lead, telling me how to bring the energy in practice, and showing what we should all be working for.”

Sometimes leading means getting teammates involved. But sometimes leading means taking the bull by the horns and asserting your will. Tuesday’s win at Shawnee Heights was an example of the latter. Trailing 48-40 in the fourth period, Brooks scored 11 points in the fourth quarter, attacking the defense off the dribble and refusing to be shut down.

“A player like that is supposed to put a team on his back,” Bloomquist said after the 57-55 come-from-behind victory.

Star player popular with teammates

Bloomquist admitted that empowering a go-to player requires some diplomacy. But he said Brooks is an easy player to give that type of responsibility.

“You discreetly, as a coach, work a player into that, because you don’t want people to think that you’re favoring a kid,” the coach said. “But the thing about Elijah is, everybody likes him. And everybody knows how good he is.

“Kids like that, you let him play. If I don’t let him play, if I bottle him up, we don’t win.”

Bloomquist said opponents are gearing their defenses to take Brooks out of the game. That often involves physical play.

“He’s got to play through that contact,” Bloomquist said. “Elijah has to know that. We talk about it.”

The 3-1 Chargers visit Manhattan Friday before taking a break for the holidays.

They return key contributors from last year’s club, particularly point guard Sincere Austin and shooting guard Zander Putthoff.

But Bloomquist is looking to several new players to replace the output of Alexander and Wilkerson.

Brooks likes the makeup of this group and believes it can be successful in its own right.

“We say family every year, but this year’s team and last year’s team really clicked. I think this team will just keep getting better with chemistry,” Brooks said. “We know that we really should be at the top of the competition, so we try to play like it every night, prepare like it in practice.”

Topeka West star focused on this season

Brooks electrifies crowds everywhere he goes with his high-flying, highlight-reel plays.

He dunks every game, some of which are contest-worthy, and his ability to block shots is equally impressive. He handles the ball and is a runaway train in transition. He is working on his perimeter shot, and developing his skills for the next level.

Some junior college and four-year college opportunities have surfaced, but the senior is staying focused on the business at hand.

“I’m open to everything. I’m just waiting and will make a decision at the end of the season,” he said. “Of course everybody wants to go Division I to play basketball. I believe I can do that. I just have to keep working hard and staying focused.”

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Elijah Brooks leading Topeka West hoops in his senior season