Senior Spotlight – Brad Waldow

St. Mary’s center Brad Waldow has been a four-year starter for the Gaels, and he has shown steady improvement through each of those seasons. At 6’9 and between 260 and 270 pounds, Waldow is a physical presence in the post, but he has a skilled offensive game which allows him to contribute in versatile ways.  A First Team All-West Coast Conference Player last season, Waldow is putting up some of his best numbers as senior, averaging almost 20 points and 10 rebounds per game, along with over 2 assists, and shooting 56 percent from the field. With his college career coming to an end in a little over a month, let’s take a look at Waldow’s game and how it translates to the professional level:

Offense

Waldow is a skilled offensive post player, with a wide body and above-average footwork.  He uses his body to establish position in the post, and seals his defender well. While he prefers the left block to the right, he is capable of setting up on either, and making a move over either shoulder.  There is nothing quick, or fancy, about his post moves, but he minimizes his ballhandling and has shown nice touch out to eight feet.  Where Waldow can run into some trouble is when confronted with length around the basket, but he is capable of using his bulk to create some space. He is a good screener and capable of playing in the pick-and-roll, though he can be slow to open up to the ball. Waldow is a good offensive rebounder, and though not very athletic, he tracks the ball well and uses his body to establish position. He doesn’t get a lot of put back attempts, at least compared to his rebound totals, but he does create a lot off second chance opportunities.  Waldow sees the floor well and can be a good passer, though he will try and force some bad looks. Shooting from 10 feet out is an area he needs to work on, including at the free throw line. Though he doesn’t get to the line at a large percentage compared to his field goal attempts, he still leaves a lot of wasted chances out there.

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Defense

Waldow is not as skilled on the defensive end, and though he uses his body well to defend the post, his footwork is below average, and a bit slow. He has trouble with longer and/or quicker offensive players, as he doesn’t seem to react quickly to shot attempts. Waldow does hold his ground well though, and if a player wants to try and bully him to the basket, he may have a tough time. Also, Waldow can be slow to get out to the perimeter, whether looking to close on a shooter, or defending in the pick-and-roll. Because of this, he will leave a lot of open space to compensate, giving shooters room to get good looks.  Waldow is a tough defensive rebounder, boxing out well and using his lower body to keep opponents on his back, but athletic opponents can get up quick enough to snatch rebounds from him.

The Next Level

Waldow has played as a center, possibly a bit undersized, in college, and though he can offer some spot help there, he’s more likely being looked at as a traditional power forward.  The problem with this is he isn’t left with many good match-ups when he is on defense, unless it’s a player similar to him. Bigger or more athletic forwards can beat him in the post, and he isn’t quick enough to defend the perimeter right now against the wave of stretch 4’s coming into professional basketball. Still, Waldow is a tough and skilled offensive player, who can certainly contribute minutes as he looks to work on his body and improve his footwork to defend at the next level.