Nov. 12, 2008
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – University of Notre Dame men’s basketball coach Mike Brey has announced the signing of men’s basketball players to national letters of intent. Set to join the Irish in the fall of 2009 will be forward Mike Broghammer (Orono, Minn.), guard Joey Brooks (Houston, Texas), forward Jack Cooley (Glenview, Ill.) and power forward Tom Knight (Dixfield, Maine).
“We’re excited to have Mike, Joey, Jack and Tom join our Notre Dame basketball family,” Brey says. “They’re a great fit for our program and our style of play. With Mike, Jack and Tom, we’re getting three physical frontline players who like to play hard, while Joey gives us an athletic presence on the perimeter.”
Broghammer, a 6-9, 235-pound forward, averaged 11.9 points and 10.0 rebounds as a junior in leading Hopkins to a 27-2 record during the 2007-08 scholastic season as his squad finished as conference co-champions. The Royals only two losses were to eventual Class AAAA state champion Minnetonka and were ranked as high as eighth nationally by Maxpreps. Broghammer scored in double figures in 16 of 29 contests, including a season-high 26 points versus Edina.
As a junior, he netted 8.2 points and 7.0 rebounds in leading Hopkins to the number-one ranking in the state and a final 26-2 record as the Royals Classic Lake Conference crown.
A two-time all-conference honoree, Broghammer will serve as team captain in ’08-’09. He plays for the Howard Pulley Panthers AAU squad and led that team to the Houston Kingswood Classic Platinum Division crown in 2008 and was named MVP of the Howard Pulley European Basketball Tour.
“Mike is a physical frontline player who continues to develop his offensive game,” Brey says. “He’s strong inside the post, but is comfortable stepping out and facing the basket. Mike is an excellent defender and a good rebounder at both ends of the floor and passes the ball extremely well.”
Brooks, a 6-5, 200-pound guard, led Strake Jesuit College Preparatory to the UIL District 18-5A district crown (out of 60 teams) as junior while averaging 22.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals and garnering first-team all-district honors and earning all-state recognition. He ranked as one of the top five scorers in the Greater Houston area and was named to the Houston Chronicle Greater Houston Area team.
Brooks was named MVP of the Lee College Tournament after leading his team to the tournament championship and was named to the all-tournament team at the Whataburger Classic. He also led his team to the title at the Magnolia Tournament. As a sophomore, he netted 16.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists. “Joey is extremely athletic perimeter player who has the ability to be a slasher to the basket,” Brey says. “I was really impressed with him when I first saw him play point guard for his AAU team. He’s got a high basketball IQ and has a great feel and understanding for the game.”
Cooley, a 6-9, 235-pound forward, averaged a double-double in his junior season netting 20.7 points and 11.2 rebounds, in addition to 3.4 blocked shots and 3.1 assists. A second team all-state selection by the Chicago Tribune and Associated Press, he also garnered all-Central Suburban League all-conference honors and was selected to the all-tournament teams at the Fenton Thanksgiving and Elgin Holiday tournaments.
Cooley helped Glenbrook South finish 11-3 in its final 14 regular-season contests in ’07-’08, including an upset of #10 New Trier as his prep squad earned a third-place finish in the final regular-season standings. In his first season playing on the varsity team as a sophomore, he contributed 6.9 points and 5.3 rebounds.
“Jack is an intense, physical player who is a throwback kind of guy,” Brey says. “His style of play compliments our style of play and he will be a very effective BIG EAST player. “He is a good screener and just has a great overall feel and understanding for the game.”
Knight played three seasons on the varsity team at Dirigo High School and averaged 16.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.3 steals and 3.1 blocked shots as a juniors. Knights guided his prep team to back-to-back Mountain Valley Conference crowns and a runner-up finish at the Class C Western Maine regional finals in both 2006-07 and ’07-’08. As a sophomore, he averaged 14.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.9 steals and 2.5 blocked shots, while netting 9.6 points, 5.4 rebounds an 1.3 blocked shots in his freshman campaign.
Knight was a first-team all-MVC honoree in his junior season, while also garnering first-team all-state honors from the Portland Press and second all-state honors from the Bangor Daily News. He set the single-season school mark for field goal percentage by converting 65.6 percent of his shots. His AAU Team MBR finished 11th in 2007 at the AAU National in Orlando, Fla.
“Tom’s stock rose this summer,” Brey says. “He is a big, left-handed frontline guy who is particularly crafty around the basket. Tom has great footwork and one of his greatest assets is that the game comes easy to him. He has a good feel for how to play the game and plays within himself. Tom is just a very steady and consistent player.”