"We are very excited about signing Martin Breunig at the University of Montana," Tinkle said. "He's a strong, athletic post player, and he really adds good size and strength to our front line."Per transfer rules, Breunig will have to sit out a year, and will be a junior eligibility-wise when he suits up in 2014-15. He originally committed to Maryland before landing at Washington, so it is a caliber of recruit that usually isn't seen on the Big Sky level.
He played less than 200 minutes in his two seasons at Washington, but figures to have a much better shot of cracking the rotation for the Grizzlies. Here is a scouting report from a couple years ago, when he was scheduled to be playing for Maryland:
Strengths:Come 2014-15, all of a sudden, the Grizzlies should have a deep and experienced frontcourt.
Breunig is an intriguing post prospect with a variety of tools and good upside. He has good hands and feet, able to catch cleanly in congestion and pretty mobile for a player his size moving both side to side as well as up and down the court. He has good touch around the basket and can face up to consistently make mid-range jumpers and even stretch the defense out to the three-point line at times. Physically, he has a ripped frame with good muscle mass as well as definition.
Weaknesses:
Breunig is much more comfortable facing the basket outside the paint than he is battling inside around the rim. While he has a very strong body he is still getting adjusted to the physicality of the American game and not yet assertive enough against contact. He needs to become a more consistent rebounder and finisher inside the paint and more of a low post scoring threat. He also needs more consistent shooting mechanics to capitalize on his touch facing the basket as his form and release point can both be inconsistent.
Bottom Line:
Breunig may not be ready to make an immediate contribution upon reaching Maryland but given a year or two of development he definitely has the tools to eventually be a productive big man in the ACC.
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Players like this usually fall to the Big Sky level for a reason, no disrespect to Mr. Breunig intended. That said, he should be able to contribute for the Griz.
ReplyDeleteA couple of players come to mind. At the time, Phil Nelson was recruited by PAC-10 schools, and signed with Washington. He transferred to Portland State and was solid. Lucas Steijn was offered, signed, and played at Indiana for a year or so, before transferring to a JC (and then found himself at ISU). He was ok, nothing great, but not bad.
For sure... if he was as good of a talent as Washington thought he'd be, he probably would have played more than 50 minutes last season. I am guessing he will be a solid big for the Grizzlies, but not a POY candidate or anything of that level.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the comment.