Player Profile: Philip Nolan

Looking Back: It looked like Nolan would have a year of watching from the sidelines and he would have to wait for his chance to play.  He was third in line off the bench with Olander starting and Wolf backing Tyler up.  That all changed once Wolf found himself with off the court troubles and became indefinitely suspended.  That thrusted Nolan into the back-up duty and he showed right away that he was up to the challenge.  He instantly leapfrogged Olander as the best big man on the team, showing the ability to score points in the paint and most importantly rebound.  By the end of the season, Ollie had a trustworthy and upcoming center on the team that seemed to be improving with each and every performance.

The Good:  He has good instincts to find the ball when it comes off the rim.  He runs the floor well and can finish plays around the rim.  Though limited, he has shown the ability to play on the post.  Right now his greatest asset is his rebounding and he progressed with each outing.  He has a great demeanor on the court and he doesn’t look overwhelmed.

The Bad:  He doesn’t have the weight right now to hold a position for long.  He needs to add ten to twenty pounds to his frame and be able to not only seal his man, but to establish a position early in the defense and offense sets.  His post game is a work in progress and he hasn’t displayed a fifteen foot jump shot yet that a big man needs against the zone.  He has shown an ability to rebound, but for him to garner more playing time, he will have to double his output last year in that department.

Looking Ahead: Nolan has a great opportunity this season.  He finished last year strong and the starting spot is wide open this year.  He needs to show that his hard work in the summer will pay off.  If he can add some weight, develop a short jumper, and box out then he could snag that starting center position.