UC Irvine men’s basketball to retire Scott Brooks’ jersey

The UC Irvine men’s basketball program will retire Scott Brooks’ No. 12 jersey during the Nov. 30 game against Eastern Michigan at Bren Events Center.

As a senior in the 1986-87 season, Brooks led the West Coast in scoring with an average of 23.8 points per game and his four three-point field goals made per game ranked second in the nation. The guard also led UCI with a then school-record 66 steals and was named first team All-Pacific Coast Athletic Assn., All-District and honorable mention All-American.

Brooks still holds the Anteater records for free-throw percentage in a season (.886) and career (.859), as well as the UCI record for points in a half with 29. He also ranks sixth in career steals (123) and 11^th in three-pointers made (142) in 56 games.

Brooks, who played 10 seasons in the NBA, has gone on to a career in coaching. He was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2010 with the Oklahoma City Thunder and is currently beginning his fourth season as head coach of the Washington Wizards.

Brooks’ No. 12 will be just the second jersey retired in UCI men’s basketball history, as Kevin Magee had his No. 44 retired in 1995. It is also the third number retirement across all athletic programs, joining baseball head coach Mike Gillespie, whose No. 19 was retired in 2018.

“I’m humbled and honored with this recognition,” Brooks said in a release. “UCI holds a special place in my heart. I am grateful to Coach [Bill] Mulligan and my teammates whom I share this honor with. It is a privilege to be joining Kevin and Mike with this special distinction.”

::

Support our sports coverage by becoming a digital subscriber.

For more sports stories, visit latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/sports or follow us on Twitter @DailyPilotSport.