Things happen quicker in professional basketball than those even in the world’s fastest growing cities. As such, University of Connecticut’s Ghanaian 7foot Center, Amida Brimah can easily move up NBA Mock Drafts by impressing in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I national title tournament in the U.S.
Popularly termed “March Madness”, the competition features 68 Colleges or Universities face off in single-elimination games to decide the winner. This year’s tournament will be played in Houston.
Having won the 2014 national title, Amida will be on the lookout for his second national championship win in three years as the American Association Conference ninth-ranked Huskies take on the Colorado Buffaloes at 17:30 GMT today at the Wells Fargo Center.
NBA Mock Drafts released in recent times does not feature among the first 60 places with veteran writer Aran Smith ranking the 22 year old 79th in his rankings for the 2016 NBA Draft. He does however finds himself 55 on draftexpress.com’s ranking for the 2017 Draft which Amida will be automatically eligible.
Many pundits are yet to be totally convinced about Brimah particularly in his offensive game. The Center relies heavily on alley oops, put backs and dunks off dump off passes. For a guy his size and armed with a 7foot 2 wingspan, Amida does not crash the glass like he ought to; he is averaging 4.6 rebounds per game this season.
On the positive end, Amida has always intrigued NBA scouts with his eye catching shot blocking antics and it is on this end he can turn himself into a second round draft pick or a late first round pick. His averages of 2.8 blocks per game translate to 59 in 29 game splayed this season.
Having witnessed Shabazz Napier waltzed his way into a 24th pick in the 2014 draft on the back of stellar displays in the tournament, Amida will know this is his moment to show what he can do o the national stage.
