UCLA Basketball: 2018 NBA Draft Profile – Thomas Welsh

Go Joe Bruin profiles UCLA basketball’s Thomas Welsh who is hoping to hear his name called for the 2018 NBA Draft this Thursday.

Thomas Welsh will be remembered for years to come. The four-year UCLA basketball player was a fan favorite and exemplified what it meant to be a true Bruin. Coach John Wooden would have loved him.

RELATED: The 10 Best UCLA Basketball Players Since 2000

Heck, Bill Walton loves him, as he constantly called him “The Immortal Irishman” (a moniker based on the novel of the same name by Timothy Egan).

Welsh’s progress over his four seasons was marked by consistent improvement as he topped his stats very season in most major categories. Not only was a true Bruin, but he played with a lot of heart.

So who is Thomas Welsh? A double-double machine.

Vital Stats

Strengths

There is something special about a 7-footer that can hit three-pointers consistently. During his tenure, it was quite noticeable how much better his shot got from season to season.

More from Go Joe Bruin

• UCLA Football: It’s time for the nation to meet Dante Moore
• UCLA Football: Where are they ranked heading into week 4
• UCLA Football: Position battle breakdown for Utah showdown
• UCLA vs. Utah: Location, time, prediction, and more
• UCLA Football: Highlights from Chip Kelly’s appearance on the Jim Rome Show

Early on, he tried to master the low post game with high-percentage shots. Each year he moved a little farther out, starting with a steady mid-range baseline jumper and eventually moved out past the three-point line in his senior year.

Welsh became very comfortable with his shot, averaging .527 inside the arc and .407 outside during his senior year. Every time the ball was in his hand, there confidence in his shot.

He was also the best on the team at bring down rebounds with 10.8 per game and second in the Pac-12 in 2017-18.

He put up good numbers, but it his intangibles that also made him standout. UCLA did not have the best team in recent seasons, though that was due to three early season suspensions. That caused Welsh and teammate Aaron Holiday to pick up the slack and lead the Bruins to victory throughout the season. The result was Welsh becoming a leader of men and a Bruin head coach Steve Alford could rely on.

Put all of this together and you have a center that could be a very effect as a backup with an offensive system that is based around the outside shot.

Career Stats (per game)

2017-18 Game State

Weaknesses

There is one thing that Bruins fans hoped Alford would do with Welsh in his four years… bulk him up. Despite his height, he is a slender low post player. Larger and stronger college big men would often force  him out of position under the basket. Welsh averaged over 10 boards a game, but most of that was because of his length and ability to reach above other players.

The ability to tack on mass could make or break Welsh in the NBA. His outside shot will be a plus for some teams, but a 7-footer that cannot command the low post will be a turn off for other teams.

Welsh could also benefit from improving his passing skills. If he can develop as a consistent low post threat, mastering the inside-out game could send his game into the stratosphere, theoretically.

Next: The UCLA Basketball All-Time Team

Final Analysis

Welsh is not projected to be drafted by most NBA mock drafts, but that does not mean he is going to be passed up. If he was to be selected, it would most likely be late in the second round. Another option is signing as an undrafted free agent. Either way, Welsh could be a solid backup center at this point. His progress in the NBA will be determined on coaching and development. If a team is willing to put the time into Welsh, then they should a have a very good pro player in a few years.