Few McDonald’s All-Americans the past few years have been more controversial than Southern California native and current UCLA Bruins Thomas Welsh. Well, maybe more confusing than controversial.
The seven-footer who now roams the floors at Pauley Pavilion was a productive, but not explosive, high school player who only vaulted into most people’s top-50 prospects late in the process. Even then, he was a far cry from being a can’t miss prospect.
Yet here we are, two years later, talking about the throwback of throwback big men, as Welsh is redefining the way college bigs can affect the game. He isn’t throwing up threes, swatting away shots, or trailing the break with game changing dunks. Rather, he’s settling in at the mid-range and knocking down a shot that both college and pro basketball have all but outlawed–doing so at a ridiculous 58-percent rate this season.
The best part is that he isn’t requiring much of the ball to be this effective, as 95.5-percent of these jumpers have come on an assist, many from point guard Bryce Alford. He’s the perfect big man for a team dominated by dribble-heavy guards, and he’s turned that role into one that averages 13.3 points per game, while also throwing in 7.1 rebounds.
Welsh is certainly not the flashiest player in the country, but few have been more consistent this season, and his performance against Kentucky in the big home win for UCLA was indicative of just how much progress he has made and how well the staff at UCLA has developed him since he stepped on campus.
