Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Darren Brooks signs with Dallas Mavericks
07/01/2005 | 12:00:00 | Men's Basketball
July 1, 2005
By Tom Weber
www.SIUSalukis.com
Southern Illinois University guard Darren Brooks signed with the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association Friday and will begin playing with their summer-league team next week.
Brooks, the two-time Missouri Valley Conference player-of-the-year, will leave Monday for Long Beach, Calif., where the Mavericks will begin practice on July 6, and start playing games later next week.
"I'm excited, but at the same time, I know it's a business," Brooks said by phone from his home in St. Louis. "I'm just going to play my game and hope for the best. I just plan to work hard and not get too high or too low."
Brooks said the Mavericks project him as a point guard in the NBA and want to see if he can handle the position against NBA-caliber players.
"I'm happy Darren is getting the opportunity to show the NBA people what he can do," Saluki coach Chris Lowery said. "He had his best workout with the Mavericks, so I'm not surprised they signed him. We wish him the best."
Brooks was not among the 60 players drafted by the NBA last Tuesday, allowing him the opportunity to pick from several teams that offered him contracts.
"They told me they wanted to see me again and take a longer look at me," Brooks said. "I need to show them I can run the point."
The NBA's summer league is comprised mostly of rookies and players with limited league experience. The players are essentially competing against each other for the chance to vie for a spot on an NBA regular-season roster, which was recently expanded to 14 players.
