After a two month flirtation with the NBA Draft, UConn center Amida Brimah ended the intrigue on Tuesday, announcing his intention to return to school for his senior year via a press release from the university.
Battling injuries last season, Brimah was limited to only 25 games. He averaged 6.5 points and 4.6 rebounds to go with 2.7 blocks. Despite one standout performance in a key victory over SMU, Brimah struggled to get back in rhythm following finger surgery that sidelined him for six weeks.
With Brimah officially back in the fold, the Huskies’ defense is poised for another big season. Alongside an influx of athletic freshmen, the backcourt duo of Jalen Adams and Rodney Purvis, and rebounding extraordinaire Kentan Facey, Brimah should be able to return to his favorite task: blocking shots.
Brimah (280 blocks) is currently third on UConn’s all-time blocked shots list behind Emeka Okafor (441) and Hasheem Thabeet (417). While unlikely to catch either, a strong senior campaign should cement Brimah’s legacy as the latest in a string of shot-blocking prodigies to come through Storrs.
While he never appeared to be a serious candidate to be drafted, Brimah did enjoy several individual workouts with NBA teams including the Boston Celtics. For many players in Brimah’s position, the NCAA’s new Draft eligibility timeline now allows them to participate in portions of the process, obtain valuable experience and feedback, yet still return to college.
