Zoe Brooks on NC State: ‘I thought it was a great fit for me’

Zoe Brooks is a McDonald’s All-American, a five-star recruit, a member of Team USA’s Nike Hoop Summit squad, a state champion and a national player of the year. 

In less than two months, she will also be a freshman point guard for NC State women’s basketball. Brooks committed to the Wolfpack last summer and then rose in ESPN’s recruiting rankings to No. 9 nationally. 

She is the program’s first five-star signee since Jakia Brown-Turner in the 2019 class. While Brooks saw the ranking, she said she does not let it define her. 

“I still do the same thing, work hard and play my game,” Brooks said. 

That mentality led to a dominant senior season for the 5-10 guard, who helped lead Holmdel (NJ) St. John Vianney High to a 31-1 record. According to NJ.com, Brooks led the team in points, rebounds, assists and steals. She scored 20 or more points in 19 of her 29 games. 

From a spot on the Naismith and McDonald’s All-American teams, to a national player of the year award from SBLive, Brooks piled up the accolades this year. 

“I think I do a little bit of everything well,” Brooks said. “I like to score, pass, I like to get steals and I like to get my teammates involved and get them easy shots.”

After her previous school closed, the elite class of 2023 prospect transferred to St. John Vianney to play for head coach Dawn Karpell. The program returned most of a starting lineup that had a lot of success the previous year, and Brooks fit in perfectly when she arrived at the school as a junior. 

“I think the thing that is super cool, that NC State fans are all going to get to see, is that Zoe’s an awesome teammate,” Karpell said. 

Karpell applauded the guard’s patience when she arrived at the school. Brooks learned the system, received all-state honors as a junior, and embraced her role as the team’s star guard this year. This was her fourth-consecutive season on the New Jersey all-state team.

“Her growth and improvement from even her junior year to senior year was tremendous,” Karpell said. 

A late-season injury did not slow Brooks down, as she put up 33 points, including the game-winning shot, in the state tournament against Paul VI High. When the lights are the brightest, and the stage might be intimidating for some, the Wolfpack signee shows up. 

“Her competitive nature, I think, just allows her to kind of step up her level when we get in our most competitive, tight situations,” Karpell said. 

Few, if any, stages in women’s college basketball are larger than the ACC, and Brooks is ready to come in and compete as a freshman. The guard plans on bringing “a lot of excitement” to the court this year. 

“I want them to be entertained when they come watch me play, and that’s what I’m going to do— be flashy and make the crowd go ‘Ooh’ and ‘Aah,’” Brooks said.

Brooks excelled on both ends of the court last season, and Karpell said the guard’s unique ability to anticipate and intercept passes help sets her apart defensively. She recorded 5 steals or more in 19 games. 

Karpell said she believes Brooks’ style of play will be a perfect fit for head coach Wes Moore, who will coach to the guard’s strengths. 

“We’re obviously really excited about her,” Moore said during a March press conference. 

“She does a good job scoring the ball, but she also gets her teammates involved. It’ll be tough as a freshman playing that position, but we do think she can handle that and help us some.”

The guard committed to NC State because of her future head coach, teammates and the university’s campus. 

“I thought it was a great fit for me,” Brooks said. 

During her official visit last fall, Brooks continued building a bond with NC State’s coaches and athletes. Guards Saniya Rivers, Madison Hayes and Aziaha James will be back with the Pack next year as upperclassmen, setting up a talented backcourt for Brooks to join. 

“We were talking, and we agreed that it was going to be a lot of fun and that we have a bright future,” Brooks said. “Because we’re going to be a young team, and we’re just excited to get in the gym soon in a couple of months.”

Brooks said she already has a solid bond with Moore as well.

“He’s a cool guy,” Brooks said. “I like him a lot. I think he’s really funny, and I think my personality fits his. We’re kind of alike.”

Before enrolling at NC State in June, Brooks said she is working on her vocal leadership. Karpell believes the guard’s calling card in college will be her ability to get to the rim offensively, but the head coach said the Wolfpack signee will be able to shoot the ball from outside as well. 

The five-star, All-American guard is ready to hang some more banners inside Reynolds Coliseum. Her journey begins in a matter of weeks, and she shared a few goals for her freshman year. 

“I like to win, obviously,” Brooks said. “I want to finish with a pretty good record and just become close with all of them so hopefully, one of these years, we can win a national championship.”

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