Top Departing #2: Scott Bamforth

I am counting down the top 20 players that are departing the Big Sky via graduation, transfer, or any other way.

This past season, one Big Sky head coach told me (when discussing the development ability of the Weber State staff) that when Scott Bamforth came to the Wildcats as a junior, he was mostly a three-point specialist, and by the time he left Weber State, he was a complete player, including a solid defender. I truly think he was one of the more underrated players in the country, and a guy that the Wildcats will miss.

If all Bamforth had done in his career was be a three-point specialist, he still would have been a heck of a player. He was consistently one of the best shooters in the country over his three seasons.

2011 - 48.7% 3s / 86% FTs / 65.5 TS% (17th in the country)
2012 - 40.1% 3s / 87.5% FTs / 62.1 TS% (75th in the country)
2013 - 45.6% 3s / 86.3% FTs / 67.1 TS% (9th in the country)

Interestingly enough, Bamforth seemed to play better when he was not flanked by Damian Lillard. Even though he was not a guy that was great at creating his own shot, he was a good ballhandler, and I think having the ball kept him more in the flow of the offense (when Lillard was healthy, he was the main component of their offense, for obvious reasons). He was a good and willing passer that also took good care of the ball.

By the end of his career, he was a good defender on and off the ball. He never got many steals, but played great defense within the team concept and knew where to be at all times. But, make no mistake, his biggest weapon was his shooting. He had a quick release which helped him get get looks even though everyone in the gym knew about his ability. He attempted over six threes per game, which is highly advantageous for an offense when you shoot the percentage that he did.

It was a tough call not to put Bamforth #1 on my list, and his contributions will be missed. He was one of the better shooters and offensive players in the conference, and a guy that got better and added more facets to his game as his career went on. He was fun to watch.

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