Blake Buchanan

Buchanan is an ultra-reliable big who is productive on both ends of the floor and has a very high floor at the next level. In short, you know exactly what you’re going to get from him, both now and in the future. If he ends up surpassing that…great…but if not, he’s still the type of frontcourt piece that dependable and able to impact winning. He has solid size, a sturdy frame that is only going to continue to fill out, a good motor, willingness to be physical on both ends of the floor, and inside-out offensive tools. He also runs the floor extremely well for his size and is a solid vertical athlete, especially with the wind at his back. What he is not, is an especially flashy player. His game is about substance over style, and so he’s a bit of a throwback who probably gets more appreciation from college coaches looking on than your average fan. Offensively, he has a solid jump hook over his left shoulder, reliable counters, an understanding of when to kick and re-post. He’s a good screener, threat rolling to the rim, and solid passer. He’s an especially good offensive rebounder who can also rim-run extremely well. He’s not a reliable floor-spacer yet, and similarly needs to become a accurate free-throw shooter, but the mechanics and touch are there to develop. Defensively, he’s physical guarding the block, has a very good understanding of how (and why) to do his work early in the post in order to push opposing bigs off their sweat spots before the catch, and currently rates as one of the better rim protectors in the UAA with close to 3 blocks per game. He may not be all of his listed 6-foot-10 and doesn’t necessarily project as an offensive alpha, but again, he’s a solid building block on both ends of the floor.