Michael Bramos

After coming on strong as a junior, Michael Bramos capped off a strong senior campaign with a nice week in Portsmouth. A powerfully built wing with very solid overall athleticism, he was one of the more impressive players in attendance, looking very comfortable playing a complementary role. Unlike many of the other participants in the PIT, Bramos didn’t force anything, which allowed him to perform well and give his professional stock a boost in the process.

The best things Bramos showed this week were good decision-making ability and a high motor. Never known as a great ball handler during his time in Oxford, Bramos never tried to drive into the heart of the defense, earning his trips to the rim in other ways. He ran the floor relentlessly in transition, moved well without the ball, and worked well off of his teammates. His shot selection looked substantially better than it did during his senior season, and he showed good defensive effort. The savvy and high basketball IQ Bramos displayed allowed him to effectively display nearly all of his strengths in the three games he played in.

Though Bramos managed to get some looks at the rim by working hard off the ball, he remains limited as a ball-handler. If Bramos is to improve in the short-term, the easiest way for him to do so would be by improving his ability to create his own shot. He didn’t force any drives in Portsmouth, which shows that he fully understands his limitations, but he would benefit from the versatility improved ball-handling would provide him. There were a couple occasions where Bramos received the ball with the shot clock winding down, and he had a tough time shaking his defender to create a good look.

Essentially a power guard, the 221-pound Bramos looked good scoring from the inside and outside this week. Bramos can hit the three, but his form isn’t ideal, his release is a bit deliberate, and his consistency still needs to improve. He’ll hit some open shots, but should definitely take the time to become a bigger threat from beyond the arc. Bramos did show decent consistency when he got looks around the basket, showing good body control and playing above the rim when the opportunity presented itself. Considering his excellent build, the fact that Bramos is willing to aggressively attack defenders at the rim should serve him well as a pro.

Outside of his scoring, Bramos also showed his basketball IQ in the way he moved the ball on the perimeter. A smart passer with good court vision, Bramos did a good job making the extra pass and hitting the open man. His unselfishness will certainly earn him some playing time as he develops the other parts of his game. The same can be said for his defense.

Bramos showed excellent intensity on the defensive end, and while he has only average lateral quickness, his incredibly long arms (6-11 ¾ wingspan) and excellent work ethic make him quite a stopper. Few wing players block shots as well as he does, and his excellent awareness and discipline are apparent in the way he doesn’t take risks or miss many rotations.

At this point, Bramos has a number of very intriguing qualities, which, combined with his Greek passport, make him an excellent prospect for European basketball. If he puts in the work to add more variety to his offensive arsenal, he could be a very effective player on a high-level.

Michael Bramos had an excellent day two showing, helping his team advance to the championship game with a real all-around performance. He made shots from the perimeter, moved the ball around the floor unselfishly, played excellent perimeter defense, got in the passing lanes, and generally showed his very high basketball IQ. He looked limited as a ball-handler, but didn’t seem to try and force the issue too much, contributing to his team’s ball-movement as a facilitator. He may not be an NBA player at this point in time, but he’s surely going to play at a very high level professionally.

Senior wing Michael Bramos entered this season with a reputation for being one of the best scorers in the MAC, averaging 16.3 ppg on 43.5% FG, 84.1% FT, 36.3% 3FG shooting. Even after a late season hand injury slowed him down, he still powered the RedHawks to their fourth consecutive post-season appearance. This year, he has already been named to the Pre-Season First Team All-MAC, and is expected to be the first option on one of the more dangerous mid-major teams in the country. Already, he is showing improvement as a player, most notably through a 22 point, 3 rebound, 2 assist, and two block performance in near upset against UCLA.

Physically, there is a reason Bramos excels at this level, but still does not project particularly well at the next level. At 6’5, he is somewhat undersized for both the shooting guard and small forward position, though his strong 221-pound frame and long wingspan certainly help his cause. He is also quite an athlete, with a solid vertical leap as well as good quickness on the perimeter. His lack of height, however, does not help his cause, and whether or not he can develop into a marksman from beyond the arc is certainly something scouts will be paying attention to this season.

Offensively, he is very much a tweener at the next level. His jumpshot is a work in progress, looking great with space, but less solid when contested. The problem for Bramos seems to be two things: his slow release and his shot selection. His motion is fluid and his form does generally look nice, but his release is slow and susceptible to being blocked. Quickening his release would do wonders for him at the next level, whether it be overseas or in the NBA. His shot selection does not seem to the best, as he settles for some very questionable shots on the perimeter that both hurt his team as well as his percentages. Seeing as he gets most of his shots as a jumpshooter and this seems to be the way that he will make a living at the next level, he must improve upon last year’s shooting averages of 43.5% FG and 36.3% 3FG.

He does show the ability to score elsewhere on the floor, though on some nights and against good defenders, you would never know it. He shows semblances of an in between game, including a solid pull-up jump-shot, but his lack of ball handling ability, and therefore, his sub-par first step really hurt him. Similarly, his shaky handle also negatively affects his slashing game. Against smaller and weaker MAC competition, he was able to get to the basket based off of his strength and athleticism, but against the likes of Brandon Rush, Terrence Williams, and most recently Sam Young, his power slashing game shows little results.

Bramos does show a lot of promise on the defensive end, as well, seen in his averages of 1.3 spg and 1.5 bpg. His long arms and solid lateral quickness help him stay in front of his man on the perimeter and, should he get beaten, remain a presence around the basket. While he sometimes gets caught off-guard by a fake, in which case he is usually called for a foul, Bramos is a good man defender at this level. His defensive awareness in the team defense, though, seems somewhat lacking. Bramos often roams around on defense, looking for easy steals and shots to block. The problem with this is, however, that he is often out of position, giving his man on the perimeter plenty of time and room to launch a shot. He also isn’t much of a rebounder, averaging just 4.5 rebounds per 40 minutes. With his size and athleticism at this level, Bramos’s production should be better here.

Bramos is an interesting prospect because he is a solid scorer and defender at this stage of his career. That said, he must become better at both. The key for him is to maintain his focus at all times and let his solid basketball IQ guide his game. Too often, he tries to force things on both sides of the court, which will not be acceptable this year if he wishes to find success at the next level. Part of the problem is that it looks as though he is being asked to do too much, and is simply failing because he is playing outside of his skill level, when he would be better suited acting as a role player. This season, he must prove to scouts that he can be consistent shooter at the next level and be able to match up defensively on the wing on a nightly basis. We’re yet to see what his bread and butter will be in the pros.