The unknowing use of an ineligible player prematurely brought an end to the 2002-03 season for the Barrie Day boys basketball team but its success the past two years has not gone unnoticed.
Following teammate Josh Colwell, D.J. Brooks and Phil Masone committed to play college basketball next season; Brooks at Morehouse College (Ga.) and Masone at Lebanon Valley College (Pa.). Barrie has had five players, including Bobby Sharafeddin and Frank Mason (both at Johns Hopkins), sign with college programs the past two years. Colwell signed two weeks ago with Massachusetts-Lowell.
Brooks, the team's point guard the last two seasons, averaged 12 points, five assists and three steals last season. He was an All-Potomac Valley Athletic Conference pick as a junior.
"D.J. added a lot," Mustangs coach Darnell Myers said. "He's a good point guard. He showed leadership. He was with Bobby, Frank and Josh last year. He did a lot for me as far as getting the ball to them. He did a good job of shutting down [opponents]."
Brooks joins a Morehouse team that won the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title last spring for the first time since the 1990-91 season. The team's 68-65 win over Miles College (Alabama) put the Maroon Tigers into the Division II national tournament.
Myers said Brooks will get a chance to learn behind two top guards in Quincy Bell and Brandon Childs who were selected to the All-SIAC first and second teams, respectively, by averaging 16.1 and 19 points a game.
Masone started playing basketball at the behest of Myers just three years ago. He had no previous organized playing experience, but the shooting guard finished this past season averaging 14 points per game as the team's top 3-point shooter. Masone also was a third-team All-PVAC pick.
"He really helped us with our 1-4 set," Myers said. "D.J. could penetrate and kick it out to Masone to shoot the 3. He did well for us the whole second half of the season."
Masone will play for Lebanon Valley coach Brad McAlester, who is the school's all-time winningest coach with an eight-year record of 144-74. The Flying Dutchmen compiled a 13-13 record last year. Its season ended with a 73-61 loss to Susquehanna University in the semifinals of the Middle Atlantic Conference.
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