By Zach Braziller
Malcolm Brooks listed his return to Cardozo this year at 50/50. Ron Naclerio, the zany longtime coach, didn’t expect him back.
“My ankle was messed up and I had strep throat and my confidence was at an all-time low,” Brooks said. “I was kind of lost.”
Both parties couldn’t be happier that Brooks found his way back to the Bayside school in September. His hot shooting broke open a tight game early and enabled top-seeded Cardozo to cruise past No. 9 Curtis 62-39 in the PSAL Class AA boys basketball quarterfinals at St. John’s University. The Judges (22-7) will meet No. 12 Transit Tech in the semis Feb. 24 back at Carnesecca Arena.
Brooks hit five three-pointers and scored a game-high 22 points, making up for the unusual lack of production inside by leading scorer Ryan Rhoomes. Dwayne Brunson scored 14 points, all in the second half, and Shelton Mickell had seven. James Timmins led Curtis (26-5) with 14 points and Jonathan Annan had 13.
“Coach kept telling me stay aggressive, so I kept shooting,” said the 6-foot-4 unsigned senior.
The upset-minded Warriors were down just 18-14 when he hit consecutive triples to start a 10-0 run. After a Marquis Barnett free throw, Brooks connected from downtown again, making it 28-14 with 3:17 left in the half.
“He opens up the zone when we penetrate and kick it to him,” senior guard Reynaldo “Junior” Walters said. “It makes it harder on the defense.”
The second half was a showcase of what the rail-thin Brooks can do in the open court. He had three steals, including one in which he went behind his back to avoid a defender and set up Mickell for a layup, extending the Judges’ lead to 58-36.
“A lot of schools are missing the boat on this kid,” Naclerio said. “Another year or two, take him, redshirt him, feed him. He can play.”
It was why Naclerio was so hard on him last year after he arrived from Xaverian. Brooks was slated to be in the starting lineup, but turned an ankle two days before the season opener. He appeared in just seven league games, averaging only three points, and ended up leaving the team after dealing with a case of strep throat.
“I didn’t think I was ready for this,” he said, referring to the pressure and hard work of playing basketball at Cardozo.
Brooks decided to return, in part, because Naclerio promised him an opportunity to make an impact. He wanted to show he could handle that pressure. So far he has, serving an integral role for the top-seeded Judges, averaging more than 13 points per game this postseason.
Cardozo’s only two league losses — to Martin Van Buren and Thomas Edison — came with Brooks sick. He has since promised to dress warmer to prevent catching cold.
“I always knew he had it in him,” Naclerio said. “Doing it late is better than doing it never.”
The Judges are now back in the semifinals for the first time since 2004, the year they made it to Madison Square Garden before losing to Sebastian Telfair and Lincoln in the finals. This season has been characterized by near misses — three agonizing narrow losses to Catholic powers Rice, Christ the King and Bishop Loughlin. But Cardozo has won eight in a row and nine of 10.
“Now,” Naclerio added, “hopefully they’ll get a chance to do something special.”
Reach Zach Braziller at zbraziller@nypost.com.
