Serving the University of Toledo community since 1919.

Top of his game; Top of the MAC

Marcus Dodson, Sports Editor

Hang on for a minute...we're trying to find some more stories you might like.


Email This Story






image_pdfimage_print

How good has senior center Nathan Boothe been for Toledo men’s basketball team this year? NBA good, if you ask me. Let’s just say there aren’t enough adjectives to describe the high level of play he’s been demonstrating all year.

Boothe has been named the Mid-American Conference West player of the week five times already this season and earned a spot on the collegeinsiders.com mid-season Mid-Major All-America team in early January.

Where does he rank amongst players in the MAC? Right at the top, and the stats help back me up.

He leads the league with 19.5 points per game this season and has averaged 22.3 points per game through the first six conference games. That’s just 0.3 percent off the school record for the highest average in MAC play. He’s shooting an impressive 52.8 percent from the field which ranks eighth best in the league.

His game has only improved since the start of MAC play raising his average points

The 6 foot 9, 250-pound beast of a man has also found the range from three-point land cashing in at 41.7 percent from behind the arch. That’s the eleventh-best three point shooting percentage in the MAC making him one of the greatest threats offensively in all of college basketball.

Not only will he beat you up on the block, but he has no problem of knocking a shot down right in your face.

Along with being pretty much unstoppable on the offensive end, he has been a force on the glass grabbing 8.8 rebounds per game, which is good enough for third best in the MAC.

And his defense? Well, he’s recorded 122 blocked shots since he stepped on campus in 2012 which is just 16 off the school record for a career.

He has been Mr. ‘do it all’ for this young Rocket’s team that has seven freshmen on its roster.

He has led the team in scoring 11 times, rebounding 14 times and assists 10 times. Which are all team-highs on the season.

But where has this been?

In his first three years he never averaged more than 10 points per game. Does that mean he wasn’t as good?

I don’t think so, as he played with the third and seventh all-time career point leaders in Julius ‘Juice’ Brown and Rian Pearson respectfully.

It’s hard to score the ball if you’re not getting the ball.

Not only does he have to be the frontrunner for MVP of the MAC, he has to be up there for the most improved player as well.

I’m not the only one who sees the potential Boothe possess. In the game at Bowling Green earlier this year I personally sat next to two NBA scouts, one from the Minnesota Timberwolves and the other from the Brooklyn Nets. That’s a sight I haven’t seen in my four years here, or at least never noticed before until this season.

I’d be very shocked not to see Boothe get a chance to show what he can do on the next stage even if he does have to make a start in the Developmental League.

He possesses the skill and determination it takes to compete at the next level. He might be a little undersized to be a traditional center in the NBA but with his shooting and the way he takes care of the ball he reminds me of a lot LaMarcus Aldrige of the Spurs: a player who can score from both under and away from the basket.

Rocket fans, you may be watching a future NBA stud and not even realize it. Trust me, Boothe is really that good.

 

 

 

Print Friendly

Leave a Comment

Serving the University of Toledo community since 1919.
Top of his game; Top of the MAC