Top 5 Centers in the West Coast Conference
By Josh Horton
Apr 2, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Brigham Young Cougars player Nate Austin (33) pulls down a rebound against the Baylor Bears during the first half of the NIT Tournament Semi-Final at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
No. 4- Nate Austin (BYU)
By Andrew Perkins
Austin definitely has the size and the mean streak to carve out a slot higher than the #4 where we have him right now. His issues lie in the fundamentals. He finds himself in foul trouble with relative frequency. Improved footwork and technique to limit defensive and offensive fouls will do him much good. Another season with assistant coach Mark Pope, he of Kentucky Wildcat lineage, should help him immensely as he enters his junior year. On the offensive end, Austin tended to drift to the perimeter as Brandon Davies worked on the inside, which resulted in a significantly lower shooting percentage compared to his freshman year. Without Davies’ presence down low, Austin looks to be the guy who will need to become a legitimate low-post scoring threat. Much like Josh Sharp, however, Austin will need to improve, or he may see his minutes end up in the hands of freshmen Eric Mika or Luke Worthington.