NBA Draft Blog Interview with Charlie Westbrook

The road to the NBA can be difficult for a lot of players, but trying to make it from a small school in a mid-major conference can be an enormous task.  Luckily, the Summit Leagues has shown to be a conference with a steady of flow of high-level talent, including Keith Benson out of Oakland who was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks last season.  This year there is another quality group of players, including one of the top scorers in the nation, South Dakota guard Charlie Westbrook.  Westbrook was a huge bright spot this past season as South Dakota made the move to the Summit, and he showed that he can compete with just about anybody on the floor.  With the ability to score in a variety of ways, Westbrook has the type of game that should translate well to the next level.  I had the chance to speak to Charlie recently about his game, working on getting to the NBA and more:

Charlie on how his game developed at Marquette:

“I definitely improved in all areas. My shooting percentage increased, I worked on being a better passer, and I learned to let the game come to me.  My first year (at South Dakota) I rushed a lot of things.  By my second year, I had become more comfortable and it worked much better for me.”

Charlie on the strengths to his game:

“My biggest strength is the ability to get into the lane and either pull up and hit the jumper or finish at the basket.  I shoot a very high percentage inside of 20 feet.”

Charlie on what parts of his game he still wants to improve:

“I need to get keep working on my ballhandling, being able to show that I have typical point guard skills.  I am working on making better plays and getting my teammates involved more.  Overall, I want to always keep getting better, no matter what it is.”

Charlie on playing in the Summit League:

“For me, it was a great thing.  It gave me the opportunity to show what I can do and to play with a lot of great players.  This season alone, there are a few players besides myself who have a shot at the NBA.  Alex Young (IUPUI) and Reggie Hamilton (Oakland) were in the league this season and they are very good players.”

Charlie on playing in the Portsmouth Invitational:

“It was a great experience.  I got to play with a lot of great players from some of the top schools.  It was good knowing that the NBA scouts were there looking for hardworking competitors.  I think I was able to show them that. ”

Charlie on what he wants teams and fans to know about him:

“I am a hardworking guy and I will do whatever it takes to help my team.  I am always going to look to keep improving and working hard at excelling at whatever I need to.  I think I can bring a lot to any team, because of my versatility and my ability to defend multiple positions.”

I want to thank Charlie for his time and I wish him the best of luck as he looks to fulfill his dream of getting to the NBA.  Thank you also to his agent, Michael Whitaker at REID Entertainment for the opportunity to do this interview.  A lot of my readers may not have seen Charlie play, but I guarantee that once you do, you will want to see a lot more of him.

Make sure to keep checking back for more great stuff leading up to the NBA Draft.  Folow me on Twitter @NBADraftBlog or feel free to email me: ed@nbadraftblog.com