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Connecticut 78, Maryland 77

Friday, November 8, 2013 | Barclays Center (Brooklyn, NY)

Amida Brimah

Freshman | Center, 7-0, 217

Brimah was easily the most intriguing prospect in only 15 minutes of play.

In his first college game ever, Brimah—a tall and slender center from Miami (via Ghana)—made his mark on at least five plays. 6-10 size and elite shot-blocking ability. He was credited with 3 blocks, but altered at least 5 more shots.

Brimah is extremely raw on offense (not much skill or polish; can’t do more than catch-and-dunk in open space), but he has NBA-level shot blocking ability and strong hands in the paint. His defensive timing is impeccable. He is already an impact defender on the college level, and all things considered, Brimah is one of the most under the radar Draft prospects in the country.

He also runs the floor as fast as any big man I’ve seen. He plays with contagious energy, or as Coach Ollie often says, “he’s passionate about his passion.” Again: Great defender, runs the floor, no offensive game right now but he dunks with power.

It’s too early to determine how his offensive game will develop, but Brimah is a prospect to monitor.

Video: Blocks and then runs the floor quickly; Blocks two consecutive shots and then is first player up the floor; Two strong dunks; Two physical rebounds; Loses balance and gets called for traveling violation.

Connecticut 80, Yale 62

Monday, November 11, 2013 | XL Center (Hartford, CT)

Amida Brimah

Freshman | Center, 7-0, 217

Brimah outdid his impressive college debut with another dominating performance. Brimah recorded 7 points and 7 blocks in 24 minutes off the bench. Sure, his blocks were against a team that didn’t feature a player over 6-8, but it’s impressive nonetheless. His timing is impeccable, and he can contest shots way above the rim. He can also come over and block shots from the weakside. Brimah altered at least 5 more shots in addition to the 7 he officially blocked.

Brimah was extremely active, quickly ran the court, and injected unwavering energy into his team. He caught three alley-oops, one of which was an and-one. Assistant Karl Hobbs told me pre-game that Brimah will “probably enter the Draft after his sophomore season.” I think it’s valid to say Brimah is on the short list of “most under the radar prospects in America.”

Connecticut 82, Eastern Washington 65

Saturday, December 28, 2013 | Webster Bank Arena (Bridgeport, CT)

Amida Brimah — C, 7-0, 217
Freshman, 20 years old

Season (12.9 mpg): 2.8 PPG, 1.9 RPG, 2.8 BPG, 2.4 fouls

Game: 0 points, 2 rebounds

Outlook: After observing Brimah during practice Friday and the game Saturday, it’s clear he’s very raw right now. He’s an elite shot-blocker at the college level, averaging 2.8 blocks in 13 minutes per game, but that’s the extent of his “elite” attributes.

He’s a project offensively, essentially trying to develop an offensive game from scratch (Brimah started playing basketball only three years ago). At practice Friday, Brimah constantly worked on a hook shot over both shoulders, and it seems the coaching staff is intent on making this his go-to move.

Brimah is No. 1 on this list because of physical gifts (7-footer), nimble feet, and eagerness to learn. He runs the floor quickly and takes long strides, and he’s a menacing shot blocker. But he has a long way to go if he wants to be an NBA player: He’ll need to add at least 20 pounds of muscle, and start developing some semblance of an offensive game. The coaching staff at UConn continues to compare Brimah to Hasheem Thabeet, saying they expect Brimah to develop offensively and enter the Draft after his junior season.

Coach Ollie has inserted Brimah into the starting lineup for the last three games, but he’s only played a combined 26 minutes in those games. Brimah’s minutes are inconsistent right now, and will likely vary on a game-to-game basis.

Video: Individual Defense (Blocks)

Brimah has good length and timing to block shots from various spots on the floor. He can also become a terrific help defender in this regard. He’s posting an exceptional 20.8% block percentage (the percentage of opponent field goal attempts Brimah blocks when he’s on the floor).

Video: (Struggling) Post Defense

Brimah is allowing 1.42 points per post-up, which ranks in the bottom 96th percentile nationally, per Synergy Sports. Those statistics are a bit misleading due to the small sample size, but on film it’s apparent that physically mature can take advantage of Brimah on the interior. Opposing big men dip their shoulder into Brimah, gaining leverage and getting close to him as to neutralize his shot blocking threat. He needs to add muscle to hold his ground, and needs to stop gambling for blocks on every play.

Video: Fouling

Brimah is averaging 2.4 fouls in only 13 minutes per game.

Video: Athleticism (raw)

OVERALL

Brimah will like stay at least two more years in college, but the monitoring process begins now. He’s a 7-footer with great defensive instincts and a gradual offensive game. If he can develop a few go-to moves on offense—and if he can put on 25 pounds—he has a chance to be a pro.

Connecticut 69, Rutgers 63

Wednesday, March 5, 2014 | Gampel Pavilion (Storrs, CT)

#35 Amida Brimah — C, 7-0, 217
Freshman, 20 years old

Season (15.3 mpg): 4.1 PPG, 3 RPG, 2.5 BPG, 2.7 Fouls

Game (13 min): 0 PTS, 2 BLK
0-0 FG, 0-2 FT

Outlook:

— Brimah played only 13 minutes. Doesn’t have skill or polish right now, but his physical attributes—size, length, mobility, timing on blocks—give him a very high upside.

— Evaluation starts with defensive prowess; 2.5 blocks 15.3 minutes per game; 17.1% block percentage ranks 1st nationally. Excellent bounce and timing on blocks.

— Looks the part of a developing NBA center defensively. Too skinny right now (217 pounds), but has a stronghold on the paint with his excellent shot blocking ability.

— Unpolished—no offensive moves and poor hand-eye coordination—but has time to add skill to his impressive physical attributes

— Needs to work on catching the ball in the paint, and then implementing one or two “go to” moves. Maybe start with a hook shot?

— Needs to add strength to withstand the “first punch.” Right now, opponents often dip their shoulders into Brimah, getting close to his chest and thus negating his shot blocking ability.

— Brimah is far away from Draft consideration, but he has great upside. UConn assistant Karl Hobbs says Brimah “should be ready to go” by the end of his junior year. The next 12 months are critical in his development.

Video:

Brimah vs. Rutgers

Video Breakdown: Amida Brimah

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Outlook: Coming off a national championship, and after an unexpectedly promising freshman year, Amida Brimah’s plate is now full of expectations. Brimah, a 7-foot and slender 220-pound center from Miami (via Ghana), is hoping to anchor UConn’s defense next season, as well as make significant offensive strides.

It’s not a stretch to say Brimah emerged from the depths of obscurity last season. He was an unheralded 3-star recruit coming out of high school, with offers from the likes of La Salle and Southern Miss before UConn offered in January 2013. Brimah jumped at the opportunity, and came to Storrs with nothing more than a 7-foot frame and tons of potential. From a physical standpoint, the long-limbed native of Ghana was a meager 200 pounds. From a basketball-playing standpoint, Brimah picked up a ball for the first time when he immigrated to Miami three years ago. He was a physically imposing presence, but Brimah was at least a year away from making an impact.

Or so we thought. By all accounts, Brimah’s development occurred at a pace no one could have foreseen. In his first college game ever, vs. Maryland in November, Brimah flashed some tantalizing potential as a menacing shot blocker with the mobility of a wing.

Brimah’s final stat line: 5 points, 3 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 4 fouls in 15 minutes of play.

Over the course of the season, Brimah continued to showcase a combination of size, shot blocking, mobility and energy that has made him a top-tier center prospect entering next season. He’s still inadequately unpolished in various facets, but the upside is certainly there.

As of right now, Brimah’s calling card is undoubtedly his shot blocking ability. He’s a 7-footer, a defensive anchor who patrols the lane and protects the rim. Extrapolate Brimah’s stats to per 40 minutes, and he averages 5.7 blocks and 7.4 rebounds per game. In fact, his 15% block percentage this season ranked 5th in the nation. It obviously wouldn’t be easy to sustain such energy and shot blocking prowess over the course of 40 minutes, but based on his high motor and watching the film, I believe Brimah can sustain such a high level of performance. His instincts and athleticism are innate.

Brimah offers a package of shot blocking and running the floor, and plays with a contagious energy that permeates throughout his team. He has impeccable shot blocking skills from every angle—whether contesting shots on the ball, flying across the lane from the weak side, or sliding over to provide soft help. Brimah could also develop into an effective rebounder if he stays disciplined, learning how to box out and establish position instead of trying to out-jump everyone.

Offensively, Brimah can finish at the rim, as he converted 70% of his non-post-up paint touches this past season. His 1.45 points per “around the basket” attempt ranked in the top 5 percentile nationally, he finished 73% of his cutting attempts, and 70% as a pick-and-roll screener. He finalizes plays in transition, and is a prime lob target in the half court.

So: Brimah can block shots and rebound, and he can finish in the lane offensively provided he doesn’t have to make any actual moves. And lastly, Brimah brings a contagious energy to the court; as Coach Ollie says, Brimah is “passionate about his passion.”

Brimah is a very promising defensive prospect, primarily due to his shot blocking ability, but his offense is very unpolished (some would say he’s a “work in progress” offensively—I think it’s worse right now). To put it nicely, he’s a project, essentially trying to develop and offensive game from scratch. I observed several UConn practices this season, and Brimah would literally spend an hour working on his 5-foot hook shot. But you didn’t have to observe practice to notice this—it’s evident on film, too. He must continue to develop back to the basket post moves, and his overall footwork, in order to get comfortable operating in the post.

Even more critical than polishing his offensive game, however, is getting stronger. Brimah’s 220-pound frame is simply frail right now—it doesn’t suffice on the college level, let alone the NBA. He gets outmuscled in every possible way.

Offensively, he gets pushed off his spot and out of the play. He also has trouble with his hands and coordination, fumbling passes and rebounds. Defensively, opposing big men can toy with him; his lack of strength strongly correlated to Brimah averaging a mind-boggling 7 fouls per 40 minutes. He was too weak to maintain his position in the paint, so he became averse to playing on-ball defense and instead tried to block every shot. This was a poor strategy that led to Brimah heading to the bench early and often. A lack of strength—more so than an unpolished offensive game—is the biggest factor holding him back from achieving his potential. He must get stronger to impact the game on a “skill” level, not just from a naturally-athletic standpoint.

Overall, at only 20 years old, Brimah’s physical tools (mobile and free-flowing 7-footer with a high motor) and defensive instincts alone make him worthy of monitoring this season. He’s still more “project” than “player”, but with some improvement in the aforementioned areas—adding muscle, staying disciplined defensively to not commit fouls, and showcasing any semblance of a back to the basket game—Brimah has a chance to emerge as one of the most highly coveted center prospects for the 2015 Draft.

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Strengths

• Defensive Potential

• Speed and Mobility for a 7-footer

• Rebounding

• Youth/Upside/Rare prospect considering the dearth of promising young centers

Weaknesses / Areas of Improvement

• Very Unpolished Offensively

• Weak Frame (Must Get Stronger)

• Fouling (Defensive Discipline)

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Strengths

• Defensive Potential. 7-footer with exceptional shot blocking instincts and mobility. Someone who can anchor a defense and protect the rim, who is quick and athletic around the basket. Brimah averaged 2.3 blocks in 16 minutes per game, and 5.7 blocks per 40 minutes. 

Brimah has impeccable shot blocking skills from every angle—whether it’s on the ball, flying across the lane from the weak side, or sliding over to provide soft help. He is a true “rim protector.”

On-Ball Blocks

Help Defense Blocks

Slides Over (lateral quickness in the paint)

Running the Floor After a Block

Brimah flies up and down the floor following his blocks. He converts blocks into transition opportunities.

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• Speed and Mobility for a 7-footer. Brimah does an excellent job of running the floor and finishing in transition. He gets up and down the floor like a guard, where he can finish alley-oops above the rim.

He’s also a reliable lob target in the half court, and he can finish drop-off passes at the rim.

Transition (running the floor)

Cutting (catching lobs)

27% of Brimah’s offense last season came in “cutting” situations, more frequently than any other facet of his game. He finished an excellent 73% of his cutting attempts, and his 1.21 points per attempt ranked in the top 35th percentile nationally.

Drop-Offs and Cuts Under the Basket

Running the Floor After a Block

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• Rebounding Potential

Brimah rebounds in and out of his area (3 RPG, 7.5 rebounds per 40 min), using his height and athleticism to track down loose balls. However, he must get stronger, as he often gets pushed off his spots and tries to out-jump opponents. He won’t be able to just out-jump opponents at the NBA level, or, really, even in college.

Put-Back Layups

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Weaknesses / Areas of Improvement

• Unpolished Offensive Skill Set.

Brimah looks the part of a developing center, flying up and down the floor and anchoring the paint with his excellent shot blocking ability. But he has a very long way to go if he wants to be an NBA player: He’ll need to add at least 20 pounds of muscle, and start developing some semblance of an offensive game in the half court.

Brimah kind of just flings the ball in the air when he receives it in the post. He has weak hands, poor coordination, and lacks any post moves.

Maybe gaining weight and adding muscle will help him bring it all together?

Poor Coordination (turnovers)

Fumbles passes, travels in the paint, and can’t synchronize his mind and body to make a competent move.

Uncoordinated on Boards

Unpolished Post Game (finishing struggles, weak and panicked takes)

Soft Hook Shot (Post Potential)

Brimah did flash some potential in his post-up arsenal last season, as he shot 10-22 (45%) and posted a decent 0.8 points per attempt. But an effective post move was few and far between. Hopefully adding muscle will jumpstart his offensive development.

Free Throw Shooting

Brimah shot an abysmal 57% on 1.5 free throw attempts per game last season. He must improve this facet of his game as well.

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• Weak Frame (Must Get Stronger)

Brimah must get stronger to hold his ground and “bang” in the paint. Offensively, he gets pushed off his spot and out of the play (shown above).

Defensively, opposing big men can toy with him; his lack of strength strongly correlated to Brimah averaging a mind-boggling 7 fouls per 40 minutes. He’s too weak to maintain defensive position in the paint, and his lack of muscle caused him to abandon defensive principles and instead try to block every shot. This was a poor strategy that led to Brimah heading to the bench early and often

Gets Outmuscled in the Paint

Gets Beat off the Dribble (poor lateral quickness)

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• Fouling (Defensive Discipline)

As mentioned, Brimah averaged 3 fouls in only 16 minutes per game last season, and 7 fouls per 40 minutes. His penchant for fouling can be broken down into three specific bad habits.

Pushes off on Offensive Boards

Gambles for Blocks instead of Holding His Ground and Staying Vertical (very concerning)

He gradually became averse to playing on-ball defense and instead tried to block every shot.

Must Get Stronger and Disciplined

He needs to keep a vertical stance with his arms raised, and keep himself between the defender and the basket. He won’t be able to simply “swat away” shots at the next level; he must play sound, fundamental defense.