Up in Arms

Sophomore Darren Brooks is emerging as a premiere point guard as SIU hits the road for two critical games

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Darren Brooks wears his mind on his sleeve - literally.

Everything you ever wanted to know to know about the sophomore guard is tattooed on his arms or near his arms on his back. His attitude, his playing style, the reason he is able to play collegiate basketball, his confidence and the women he loves - it's all on his abnormally long arms.

"He's got those go-go gadget arms where he catches every pass," senior guard Kent Williams said. "They hang down to his ankles."

Williams is exaggerating, but not by much. Standing up with his arms limp, Brooks' fingertips stop 2-3 inches from his kneecap.

Brooks has used those arms to become an invaluable asset for SIU this season, especially in the last few games. Before Saturday 25-point, six steal outburst at Wichita State, Brooks took over last Wednesday's game against Bradley when Williams fouled out and made three of his four free throws down the stretch.

He is averaging 13.4 points per game and just over two steals per game - both are improvements over last season.

SIU head coach Bruce Weber said Brooks' arms, along with his instincts, give him an unfair advantage on defense.

"I don't know if it's a visual illusion or something, but he has good instincts and his arms seem to go forever," SIU head coach Bruce Weber said. "I joke about it. I call him the octopus because it seems like he's got arms all over the place."

And he covers his arms - he had only two the last time he checked - like he covers an offense. Well, with style and with purpose.

The side of Brooks' left bicep features a tattoo of the "And 1" basketball player sitting on a basketball hoop with a caption of his nickname, "The Chosen One."

The tattoo symbolizes Brooks' seemingly endless confidence in his athletic ability.

"Since I was a little kid, I always played with older guys. Basketball, baseball, football, whatever," Brooks said of growing up in St. Louis. "I pretty much dominated every sport. Guys called me the chosen one, so the name just stuck with me."

His left bicep shows two very different tattoos, which are unrelated, according to Brooks. The inside portion of his arm shows his mothers name, Jackie, spelled vertically. Immediately to the left of his mother's name is a picture of a flaming Grim Reaper holding a dead body.

The reaper is a constant reminder to Brooks that time could be running out.

"I just try to play every game like it was my last," Brooks said. "That's why I switched my number to No. 1. I feel like I only got one chance, and I feel like no one out there can really hold me. I just want to give it my all. I only got one chance and I want to make the best of it."

Brooks' right shoulder blade features a portrait of his mother along with the name of his grandmother, Flora, who is on 24-hour bed rest in St. Louis.

They are the two most important women in his life and because of her condition, along with the fact she cannot attend games with his mother, Brooks' grandmother is frequently on his mind.

He is unable to see Flora more than a few times during basketball season and said he looks forward to every home visit he is able to make.

"Every time I go home I get a chance to kiss her and just be with her," Brooks said.

Brooks will not talk at great length about his grandmother, mother, his tattoos and his game, or about anything else. Though he is known as a comedian, players say they have to listen carefully for the punch line - muck like the style of legendary bland comedian Norm MacDonald.

And Brooks' unassuming style grows exponentially when he steps onto the hardwood.

He is very non-chalant on the court and prefers to keep a low profile. Weber said Brooks is always, cool, calm and collected and beats teams silently.

Brooks "lurks in the shadows" and has an uncanny ability to bait other players into throwing him the ball.

"He's like a silent assassin off the court and on the court," Williams said.

Brooks, attitude, tattoos and all, will play in his first game since Saturday's scoring binge tonight at Drake.

It will be the first of two road games in three days for the Salukis, the second being Saturday night at 9-1 Southwest Missouri State, and Brooks is unlikely to repeat his stellar performance.

Not because he is not talented enough, but because the game is expected to be slow and drawn out.

SIU is not expecting to paste 94 points in Drake like it did to the Shockers.

"They work it around a lot and usually work the shot clock down when they're on offense," Williams said. "And then on defense, they kind of sit back in the lanes. It's going to be a possessions game - every possession counts."

Brooks said Drake is less talented than it was last year, and the Bulldogs will most likely play without the injured Luke McDonald, the only Drake player Brooks said was notable.

McDonald is the team's third-leading scorer at 13.6 points per game and is the Bulldogs' only consistent three-point threat. He has made 41 treys on the year and is shooting 33 percent from beyond the arc.

But, like any other team that looks mediocre on paper, Weber has warned his team of an upset. Drake would not be a huge win, but to Weber, it would be the first of three road victories that would solidify the Salukis as a contender for the Missouri Valley Conference title.

"I'm taking Drake first and I'll see what we can get," Weber said. "To be honest, I think out of this next two weeks, we'll tell if we're really a contender for the title."

Expect Brooks - and his arms - to be a deciding factor.

Reporter Michael Brenner can be reached at mbrenner@dailyegyptian.com