'It's going well': Mike Smith, Eli Brooks bond fast in Michigan backcourt

James Hawkins
The Detroit News

It didn’t take long for Mike Smith to build a bond with Eli Brooks, even with the abnormal offseason.

Smith, a graduate transfer who spent four years at Columbia, used a comparison to describe the instant connection he formed with Brooks when he first arrived at Michigan.

“When you walk in the first day of class and you don't know anybody and you look at that one person and he looks at you and you can tell that's going to be your friend in that class, that's how Eli has been,” Smith said Friday. “That's what our relationship is like."

Michigan guard Mike Smith (12) communicates with guard Chaundee Brown Jr. earlier this season.

The two have a similar taste in music and both “try to be the funny guy,” Smith noted. The backcourt mates are also driven to make each other better and share a common goal of filling Zavier Simpson’s orchestrator role on offense.

According to KenPom.com, Smith and Brooks have accounted for 92% of the minutes at the point-guard spot heading into Sunday’s home matchup against Central Florida. Smith has received the bulk of that share at 61%, though Brooks can split duties when the two are on the floor.

Through three games, Smith and Brooks have been the top two distributors, combining for 27 of team’s 59 total assists, and feel their pairing has been successful so far.

More: Isaiah Livers showing off all-around game during Michigan's 3-0 start

“I feel comfortable out there,” Smith said. “It's nice to have another guard back there because I obviously don't have to always have the ball in my hands and Eli knows the offense like the back of his hand. I really enjoy playing in the backcourt with Eli. We're both fast, quick so we can get out and run and we both can shoot the ball well.”

Despite not getting the chance to play together in open gyms during the offseason as well as in scrimmages and exhibitions against other teams in the preseason due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Brooks and Smith felt they were able to quickly build a rapport in practice.

After finally getting a few chances to go up against somebody else, Brooks noted that chemistry has translated over into games.

“It's going well,” Brooks said. “I think we complement each other well. He hasn't shot the 3 as much as I thought he was going to, but he can really shoot the ball and he just finds people."

Eli Brooks

Smith has nearly as many assists (team-high 15) as field-goal attempts (18). And of his shots, twice as many have come from inside the arc (9-for-12) than from 3-point range (1-for-6).

Smith wasn’t shy about letting it fly from long range at Columbia, averaging roughly six 3-point attempts per game last season when he averaged 22.8 points. Yet, Smith said he has been taking what opposing defenses have been giving him.

“There's no need to force anything, especially with a talented team like this,” said Smith, who ranks fifth on the team with 28 points. “If a team gives me more 3s, I'll take more 3s. A lot of teams haven't really been going under on ball screens or haven't been leaving me open as much, so I'm just going with the flow.”

Brooks, meanwhile, is a capable scorer and facilitator who has been steady with 24 points and 12 assists. More importantly, he has helped take the pressure off Smith on defense by drawing the opponent’s top guard.

While there’s nothing flashy about his numbers, Brooks said he’s more concerned with making sure he’s taking good shots, moving the ball, staying aggressive on offense and communicating on defense.

More: Livers-led Wolverines 'come out swinging,' take down Ball State

“If you do the little things right, you had a good game. If you're solid, you had a good game,” Brooks said. “You don't have to be a superstar every single game. You've just got to do the right things and the right things win games.”

That’s what Michigan has done during its 3-0 start as Brooks has adjusted to a new backcourt partner and Smith has acclimated to a new program.

Smith said he’s confident he’s providing what the coaches are looking for on both ends, aside from his “rocky” outing against Oakland due to foul trouble. Brooks noted his priority is to be a two-way player though he’s “not necessarily sure exactly what my role is because it changes from game to game.”

While there’s still more to learn and more trust to be gained between Smith and Brooks, the two seemingly haven’t had any trouble clicking in their short amount of time together.

"I think Mike has been a great addition," assistant coach Saddi Washington said. "It certainly helps with him being a super senior, you know, the grad transfer. Those guys have been through the paces.

"When you are playing in a backcourt with guys like Eli and Franz (Wagner) and Isaiah (Livers), guys that have been in the college game for a long time, it's easy to jell with other really good players who have a high basketball IQ. We've been pleased with that group thus far and they're going to be a major part of our success this year.”

Central Florida at Michigan

Tip-off: 4 p.m. Sunday, Crisler Center, Ann Arbor

TV/radio: BTN/950

Records: UCF 1-0; Michigan 3-0

Outlook: This is the first meeting between the two programs. … UCF is 0-7 all-time against current Big Ten programs in true road games. … The Knights are coached by Johnny Dawkins, whose son Aubrey played at Michigan from 2014-16. ... Leading scorer Collin Smith announced before the season he was stepping away because of a health concern.

jhawkins@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @jamesbhawkins