LeBryan Nash: The Essentials
- Class: Freshman
- Position: Forward
- Height: 6’7”
- Weight: 230 pounds
- Hometown: Dallas, TX
- Rivals.com Accolades: #6 overall, Class of 2011
- High school statistics: 22 PPG, 8.7 RPG (2010-11)
The Breakdown
With leading scorer Marshall Moses graduating from a 9th-place team a year ago and only two seniors on the current roster, there’s only one reason Oklahoma State has a shot to shock the Big 12 this season. That reason? It’s got a name. LeBryan Nash. Sure, coach Travis Ford has a couple of veteran leaders in J.P. Olukemi and Keiton Page, but his team has a chance for a special season if Nash plays like the superstar freshman most believe he is. The first thing that jumps out about Nash is his perfectly athletic build. At 6’7”, he blends his explosiveness, physicality and toughness to dominate on both ends of the floor.
Nash isn’t known primarily as a perimeter shooter, but that’s another skill he will provide for the Cowboys. His forte is slashing and attacking the basket, and due to his strength and size, he’s a nightmare for any defender to handle on-on-one. Like many elite athletes, some scouts worry about Nash’s attitude. One scout even called his body language “awful” during a game, but Nash apparently has admitted that his attitude is something he is consciously working on. It doesn’t necessarily make Nash a team cancer or a bad person; it’s just hard to stay level-headed when you’ve been dominant athletically for so long.
If Ford and his teammates keep him in line, Nash could easily find himself in the running for Freshman of the Year honors nationally. Although the acclimation process of Division I basketball is different for every player, Nash is also a top candidate for the NBA Draft in 2012. Most consider him a one-and-done prospect, so the Cowboys better enjoy him while he’s in Stillwater.
What They’re Saying
LeBryan Nash is a truly elite athlete, possessing absolutely ideal physical tools for an NBA small forward. Looking like a man amongst boys at this level (helped in part by the fact that he’s already 19 years old), Nash has a large, chiseled frame with explosiveness and raw power on par with the NBA’s best athletes.
–Joseph Treutlein, scout
[Nash] has an amazing knack for creating his own shot, regularly handing the ball coast to coast, and being almost unstoppable as a slasher in the half-court as well. A good (but still improvable) ball-handler, Nash can create with either hand and is just far too strong and explosive for most defenders at this level to stay in front of. He has excellent footwork and is extremely aggressive, having no problems whatsoever spinning into the lane and then finishing through contact with his NBA-caliber body, often drawing a foul in the process.
–NBA Draft Express