AUSTIN, Texas — He's got the personality of a classic younger sibling, but a style that's all his own.

His basketball game? Well, that's what Jae'lyn Brooks is trying to model after his older brother.

“We’re really two completely different people," Brooks said. "He's more of a keep to himself kind of guy. I'm more of a vocal, energetic type of person.”

There's around a six-year difference between Jae'lyn and Armoni Brooks. Jae'lyn just wrapped up his senior season at Round Rock High School. Armoni is in his third year playing professionally.

“He's at the spot that I want to be in my future. He's in the NBA," Brooks said. "He's a big role model to me, just showing me the way and telling me everything that he knows.”

The elder Brooks has bounced back-and-forth between the NBA and the G-League since starting his pro-career in 2019. He recently signed a 10-day contract with the Toronto Raptors after being released by the Houston Rockets in mid-February. 

“We just continue to find ways to bond with each other. Whether it's playing basketball, playing a PlayStation or just doing little things that make sure we're growing that relationship," Armoni Brooks said.

A relationship that's also a mentorship as Jae'lyn tries to find a place on a Division-I program. 

"It was frustrating for me originally, but he just told me to stay patient with the process and just trust it," said Jae'lyn Brooks, about his recruitment.

Right now, his best opportunity is a preferred walk-on spot with the University of Houston. It's the same school where Armoni flourished in college. 

“I just told him follow his heart. When I was going through my recruiting process, it was a lot to deal with," said Armoni Brooks, who played at Round Rock McNeil High School. "At the end of the day, you just got to make the decision that you feel is best for you. You’ll know it when you see the situation.”

Jae'lyn said the familiarity with the Cougars program is important, but he's keeping his options open as his senior year winds down.

“I really like to be my own person. I try to go my own way," Jae'lyn Brooks said. "I'm not really just looking for accomplishments or anything like that. I'm looking for where I fit best, and where I can have the biggest impact on the team.”

Being overlooked is nothing new for the Brooks brothers. 

Armoni declared for the NBA Draft after his junior year at Houston, only to go undrafted. His determination to make the league after the disappointment still sticks with Jae'lyn.

“You have to put in a lot of work," Brooks said. I feel like people overlook the amount of work that it takes to be a pro player. He's waking up every day at 4:30 in the morning.”

A lesson in perseverance. A work ethic that the little brother can now try and replicate. 

“I didn't learn it until I got in college," Armoni Brooks said. "I tried to catch him a little bit earlier, so that he doesn't have to go through that learning curve I had to go through, and that he could start working harder, earlier, and he could see results faster.”

And maybe even make the Brooks family name a more prominent one in basketball across Texas.