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Former Husky Brooks Returns to SoCal to Rekindle Basketball Career

The forward leaves the Pac-12 for the UC San Diego Tritons after two sour stints.
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J'Raan Brooks is the fifth of six former University of Washington basketball player to find a new home, choosing the University of California at San Diego, with his decision coming on Wednesday on social media.

The 6-foot-9 junior forward returns to Southern California for a second time to launch his college basketball career, apparently finished with the Pac-12 after  two disappointing tours.

There was some initial confusion about whether Brooks was transferring to San Diego or San Diego State or UC San Diego, but he finally cleared all that up by revealing the Big West school as his destination.

The Seattle native spent the 2018-19 season with USC, appearing in 28 games and averaging 2.2 points while drawing 8.2 minutes per game.

He returned home to the UW and redshirted before he appeared in just 14 games last season, started once against Oregon State and averaged 3.1 ppg in 9.8 minutes per game.

Brooks, because of the generous pandemic provisions, will be able to play right away for San Diego and still has three seasons of eligibility. The Toreros, coached by Eric Olen, are coming off a 7-10 season.

Brooks joined guard Marcus Tsohonis (Virginia Commonwealth), guard Erik Stevenson (South Carolina), guard Nate Pryor (New Mexico State) and guard RaeQuan Battle (Montana State) in a six-player exodus out of the Husky program and into the transfer portal. 

Only senior forward Hameir Wright, a two-year starter with a season of eligibility remaining, remains unclaimed. 

Senior Quade Green hasn't publicly declared what he'll do with his remaining year of UW eligibility, but is said to be working out to pursue a pro career, possibly overseas.

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