Ole Miss’ Rasheed Brooks returns to team following seizure

It’s been 10 days since Ole Miss senior guard Rasheed Brooks suddenly collapsed while suffering a seizure during a second-half timeout against Tennessee on Jan. 17. Medical personnel rushed him to Memorial Baptist Hospital in Oxford, Miss., where he spent two days receiving tests under observation.

On Friday, the Clarion-Ledger’s Antonio Morales reported that Brooks “has been cleared to resume physical activity,” according to head coach Andy Kennedy, but the green light to play Saturday against Baylor is far from given. Brooks worked out with the team Friday, but Kennedy said team staff continue to monitor his progress and wait on when Brooks can return to full competitive ball. That patience is necessarily understandable.

Brooks pulled minutes in the first 18 games of the season before the seizure, and has missed the Rebs’ last two against Missouri and Texas A&M. Though not the team’s most prolific scorer, the Kalamazoo native’s absence, coupled with Miami transfer Deandre Burnett’s high ankle sprain, reduced AK’s available scholarship players to just seven over the last week of play.

With an average of 7.8 points per game, Brooks’ prospective return at least offers the Rebels another body on the floor, and in any case he does have a tendency to just go off at random moments — like his career-high 22 against Creighton in a tight, hard-fought affair back in November.

So welcome back, Sheed. Hope to see you on the floor again this season.