Timberline basketball star Brooklyn Hicks commits to UNLV

Brookyln Hicks took off his sweatshirt, revealing a Washington State University T-shirt in front of friends, family and teammates at Timberline High School’s gym on Wednesday afternoon.

Consider the few who applauded at that moment successfully pranked. Hicks then removed the WSU T-shirt to reveal a UNLV shirt and gestured to the crowd it was now safe to cheer.

“I know a lot of people were expecting me to stay home, so I just thought I should get some people with the fake,” Hicks said. “Nothing personal to any of the schools who were involved in this whole recruiting process, just to prank my friends, have a little fun.”

The three-star basketball recruit is headed to Las Vegas, verbally committing on Wednesday.

“UNLV’s had a history of great basketball, winning basketball,” Hicks said. “So I really wanted to get into the program, be an early impact and bring that back. That’s something I’m excited for.”

Hicks, a 6-foot-3, 180-pound guard, was The Olympian’s 2022 All-Area player of the year and a first-team selection to The News Tribune’s 2022 All-Area team. The back-to-back MVP of the 3A South Sound Conference led the Blazers to a state tournament appearance at the Tacoma Dome this season, leading the league in points per game, rebounds and was top three in steals.

“He can step in right away and make an impact on the program,” said Timberline coach Allen Thomas. “He has a tremendous work ethic, so he’s always going to try to look to get better at things he’s trying to improve on, whether it’s his jumper, defense or strength. I think him getting better, faster, stronger at the next level, the sky’s the limit for him. I couldn’t be more proud of him for how he’s separated himself from his peers.”

One of the area’s most dynamic playmakers, Hicks gets downhill quickly, finishes above the rim and is a catalyst for Timberline’s transition game. The three-level scorer averaged 24 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and two steals for the Blazers last season. He chose UNLV over offers from WSU, Nevada, Rice and others.

Going somewhere where he’d have the opportunity to immediately compete for playing time as a freshman was an important factor for Hicks.

“I just feel like I’m a player that’s ready to play right away, so I definitely wanted to find a program that would give me that option to show who I am as a freshman,” he said. “Me being a guard that likes to grab it and go off the board, UNLV will give me that chance to play with my athleticism and play with my guard skills, so I get to be me and be elusive on the court.”

Thomas said he thinks players getting on the floor is the most important thing and feels the mid-major fit will be perfect for Hicks, who will have a chance to make a quick impact and get minutes.

“Whenever kids make a decision, they want to play,” Thomas said. “They don’t want to sit. I think that he’s a guy, he knows it starts all over again as a freshman, earning his stripes. At least he wants an opportunity to earn those stripes.”

Hicks’ parents accompanied him on all four of the official visits to the final schools he was considered. Everyone had different thoughts about each of the four schools, but ultimately, it was a decision Hicks had to make himself.

“We all had our favorites, our dislikes about the schools, but at the end of the day it was my decision, so my parents respected me, respected my decision,” he said. “There was really no going wrong with (any of) the final four schools.”