Player Preview: Amida Brimah

Amida Brimah
Junior C
7-0, 230

Background:

Coming out of high school in Miami, Amida Brimah was considered a project recruit; his three-star rating (Rivals) was earned more on the promise of his height and wingspan than pure basketball talent.

Indeed, when Brimah arrived on campus for his freshman season at UConn, he looked raw — struggling with the nuances of a fast-paced game: rebounding positioning, foul trouble. Yet when it came to shot-blocking, Brimah was a natural. Despite playing only 16.2 minutes per game in 2013-14, Brimah recorded 92 blocked shots, tied for the third-highest total by a UConn freshman.

Brimah also improved dramatically as he gained more experience. He played a critical role in UConn capturing its fourth national championship in the program’s history, with his three-point play against St. Joseph’s in the first round saving the Huskies’ season and setting the tone for their title run.

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Last Year:

Unfortunately for Brimah and the Huskies, offseason shoulder surgery robbed the big man of some crucial training and development time. That didn’t prevent him from earning high expectations. Brimah was named a team captain — along with Ryan Boatright — by coach Kevin Ollie.

Brimah responded with a strong season. His scoring average more than doubled, he shot better from the field, and he led the nation in blocked shots (121). The biggest change between Brimah’s freshman and sophomore seasons, however, was his ability to limit foul trouble. He committed 17 fewer fouls last season, despite playing 271 additional minutes.

What to Expect:

The biggest knock on Brimah was — and may continue to be — his rebounding. Looking ahead to the coming 2015-16 season, Brimah will need to be stronger on the glass to compliment his incredible shot-blocking talents. Luckily for Brimah, the addition of fifth-year senior Shonn Miller should take some of the rebounding pressure off the big man and free him up to take chances at contesting shots.

On offense, Brimah’s best weapon will remain the alley-oop dunk. For reference, view tape of his 13-13 shooting effort against Coppin St., where Brimah scored a career-high 40 points. Brimah and forward Daniel Hamilton proved to be an electric pass-and-catch combination, and should continue that partnership going forward.

Now back to the blocked shots. Already, Brimah is the third-best shot-blocker in UConn history. He’s currently fifth on the all-time list but No. 3 Donyell Marshall and No. 4 Josh Boone each played a full season more than Brimah, and Marshall only holds a 245-211 advantage at the moment. Brimah should pass both by New Year’s. At the top of the list, as you probably guessed, are Emeka Okafor and Hasheem Thabeet. Brimah won’t reach their raw numbers, but his presence on defense is reminiscent of past UConn teams that used shot-blocking to control both ends of the game: intimidating driving opponents on defense and spurring fast breaks on offense. Brimah will finish the season in third-place on UConn’s all-time list, and will be mentioned in the same breath as Okafor and Thabeet for years when fans discuss the best shot-blockers to come through Storrs.

Guess at stats:

Follow Amida Brimah on Twitter:@amidabrimah