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Matt Bouldin

Matt Bouldin profile
RCSI: 65 (2006)
Height: 6'5" (196 cm)
Weight: 224 lbs (102 kg)
Position: PG/SG
High School: ThunderRidge High School (Colorado)
Hometown: Highlands Ranch, CO
College: Gonzaga
Current Team: LG Sakers
Win - Loss: 32 - 17

Articles

NCAA Tournament Performers, 4/2/08-- Part Two

Matt Williams
Matt Williams
Scott Nadler
Scott Nadler
Joseph Treutlein
Joseph Treutlein
Apr 02, 2009, 05:37 pm
Last time we checked in on Matt Bouldin in any kind of detail, he was coming off of a rookie season in Spokane that had piqued the interest of many NBA decision makers. His follow sophomore campaign, though, ending up being fairly disappointing. While his numbers haven’t jumped as significantly as those of many of his peers, Bouldin has made big strides since his first two seasons under Mark Few. His play in the past month keyed Gonzaga’s run through the WCC tournament and their two NCAA tournament victories, and has caused him to give serious thought to the option of entering his name in this year’s draft. .

Despite only averaging 13 points per game on the season and struggling with bouts of inconsistency, the season Matt Bouldin put together met the high expectations that many onlookers had for him. The 215-pound guard found his range this season, connecting on 42.3% of his attempts from beyond the arc and landing near the top of the heap amongst shooting guards in three-point percentage in our database. Bouldin’s marked improvement didn’t stem from any tweaks in his mechanics –his form hasn’t changed since he arrived on campus. He’s just put the work in through repetition and slowly developed into one of the most dangerous shooting threats in college basketball, as we predicted two years ago.

His jump in efficiency this season is thanks in large part to improved patience and confidence in wide open catch-and-shoot situations. According to Synergy Sports Technology’s Quantified Player Report, Bouldin is averaging 1.37 PPP on his wide open catch and shoot looks –a far cry from the .94 and .93 he averaged as a freshman and sophomore respectively. Maybe Bouldin’s conversations with former Bulldog John Stockton mentioned in Howie Stalwick’s recent article for the News Tribune put things in perspective or included some good advice, but obviously he’s made some much needed adjustments, likely in his confidence and shot-selection.

The same patience and poise that have helped Bouldin begin to reach his potential as a shooter have helped him significantly with his decision-making as well. His role as a ball-handler has grown in each of his three collegiate seasons, but this has been easily his most efficient as a passer. A heady player with a great feel for setting up his teammates, Bouldin currently ranks near the top of our database in assist-to-turnover ratio amongst point guards. Considering his size and shooting ability, Bouldin’s court vision and passing ability makes him a highly attractive option next to smaller scoring combo guards in the mold of Monta Ellis or Louis Williams.

Though Bouldin has grown into quite a passer, his midrange game has improved across the board since he arrived on campus. As a freshman, the Colorado native was too aggressive with his dribble drives, often dribbling straight into the teeth of the defense instead of taking the open pull up jumper he already had created for himself with his quick second and third steps. Some of that had to do with his aggressive mentality, but it also stemmed from a lack of consistency in his midrange jumper. Bouldin has been very solid off the dribble this season, and though he will take some tough pull up threes, he’s used his outside shooting ability to set himself up for many easy one-dribble jumpers. Considering that he projects as a below average athlete at the NBA level who will not have as much success around the rim as he did in college, this is an important development.

On the defensive end, Bouldin lacks the lateral quickness to make a major impact on the game, but he gives a good effort and shows the ability to create some turnovers with his anticipation and awareness. Bouldin’s lack of speed is often apparent when he’s closing out shooters, but he gets in a low stance and shows better than average fundamentals to compensate. He certainly doesn’t project as a defensive stopper on the next level, but his strength and smarts will help him considerably. His ability on this end of the floor might be what makes or breaks his NBA chances actually, and is something that teams will want to look at very closely in private workouts.

From what we’ve been told, Bouldin is expected to declare for the draft this spring and see where he stands in the eyes of NBA decision makers. Currently he projects as a second round pick, but it’s possible that he is able to attract some NBA interest due to the very specific strengths he brings to the table, which could fit very well into what certain teams are looking for.

Should he decide to return to Gonzaga, Bouldin would be in an ideal position to make a big splash next season. With three notable seniors moving on, Mark Few will look to both Bouldin and Austin Daye to take their games to the next level and compensate for the program’s lack of experience. With a strong senior campaign underneath his belt, Bouldin may be a player that factors into the latter part of the first round in 2010, should he decide to return to school this spring.

Blogging through the Conference Tournaments

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Mar 11, 2009, 10:15 pm
While the AP reports after this game led with headlines for Gonzaga’s leading scorer (Josh Heytvelt) and rebounder (Micah Downs), there was absolutely no question who was the key to the humiliating blowout St. Mary’s suffered. Gonzaga shooting guard Matt Bouldin has begun to shoulder a big portion of his team’s ball-handling responsibilities, and the Zags' offense has never looked better in turn. Bouldin picked apart St. Mary’s defense all night with a series of pick and roll plays and bounce passes—racking up 7 assists but only 0 turnovers. His court vision and basketball IQ was on full display, as was his perimeter shooting. He knocked down three of five attempts from beyond the arc. Bouldin has finally become the lights out shooter many expected him to develop into when he first stepped foot on Gonzaga’s campus with his picture perfect stroke—he’s making 44% of his 3-pointers this season on five attempts per game. His efficiency numbers are up across the board this season while his scoring rate is up. His assist to turnover ratio now sits near a sparkling two-to-one mark, a big improvement over last season. It will be interesting to see how Gonzaga performs in the NCAA tournament—they missed out on picking up some high-quality wins in their very demanding out of conference schedule, but look to be on a terrific roll now, having won their last nine straight games.

Top NBA Draft Prospects in the 'Other' Conferences (Part 3: #11-#15)

Rodger Bohn
Rodger Bohn
Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Kyle Nelson
Kyle Nelson
Joseph Treutlein
Joseph Treutlein
Joey Whelan
Joey Whelan
Nov 05, 2007, 03:13 am
Just a few games into the beginning of last season, it appeared that Matt Bouldin was making a push to be considered one of the premier freshman guard prospects in the college game. However, an inconsistent in-conference performance revealed his tendencies to play passively on the ball, and gradually Jeremy Pargo became more of a focal point in Gonzaga’s offense along with Derek Raivio. Bouldin regained his swagger in the NCAA Tournament, but his impressive performance was not enough to lift the Bulldogs over Indiana. This season, Bouldin is going to have to assume a greater role on the team, both as a ball-handler and scorer, if the Zags are going to make a post-season run.

Bouldin is a deceptive offensive player. He has surprising quickness and athleticism, and while he would never be classified as an explosive player, he uses his physical gifts well on the court to maximize himself. This ability is most evident in his slashing game. Using his good ball-handling skills and solid second and third strides (clearly more impressive than his first), he can beat his man from the perimeter while driving to the hoop. Once he gets there, he can finish in many different ways, possessing both the body control and ambidexterity to score craftily around the rim. It is uncanny how well he gets into the lane considering his relative lack of explosiveness, but it is a testament to his intelligence in how well he is able to use what he has so effectively.

Finishing consistently was a problem for him last year, and despite his 45% field goal percentage, for a player with his slashing tendencies and outside touch, that number is not as great as what it could be down the line. Already possessing the strength and quickness to finish at the hoop, the biggest improvement Bouldin can make is in his decision-making. He often is ambitious and reckless off the dribble and ends up on the receiving end of blocked shots far too often. It is also of note that he only went to the foul line 2.6 times per game last season. This is an aspect of his game that he’ll have to improve on to succeed at the next level, though the flashes he has shown thus far are quite promising.

From the perimeter, Bouldin has room for improvement, but he has the makings of a good shooter. Bouldin excels in both catch-and-shoot and off-the-dribble scenarios. Displaying a good handle, he is able to create enough space for himself to get off his jumpshot. While he does not look as comfortable shooting with his feet set, when he gets a nice set shot, the results are very favorable. He runs off of screens well and knows how to move along the perimeter to position himself for open looks. Possessing a lightning quick release along with good form and a high release point, Bouldin has the potential to be an even better perimeter shooter than his 36% average (on 2.4 attempts per game) suggests. He will likely be one of the top perimeter shooters in the college ranks by the time his career is up at Gonzaga. More practice should produce results. After all, he was only a freshman.

Where he could and must improve offensively is in his mid-range game. Clearly not as comfortable shooting the ball inside of the three-point line, Bouldin often was hindered by his below average creation ability and average first step. He has to work on creating space before he can even consider becoming a solid mid-range shooter: most of his shots in the mid-range were off of screens or catch-and-shoot scenarios. However, because he has excelled at both a perimeter and slashing game, he will probably be able to get by at the moment without a mid-range game. However, for him to become the kind of prospect at the next level some people project him to be, he’ll have to add this to his offensive repertoire.

But what really makes Matt Bouldin a special prospect is his passing ability. Though he split duties on and off the ball last season, he proved himself to be a very intelligent player, possessing both good court vision as well as an understanding of how to run an efficient offense. He already plays the pick and roll offense like a prof, and displays exquisite vision finding teammates in the post. Next year, he should look to improve on drive and kick scenarios, because as already explained before; his ambitiousness and aggressiveness often contribute to turnovers and missed opportunities around the hoop. This is not to say that he is turnover prone or an inefficient player. Among college shooting guard prospects, Bouldin ranked 4th in assist to turnover ratio, averaging 3.1 assists per game compared to 2 turnovers. With Derek Raivio departing and a greater need for him to handle the ball next to Jeremy Pargo, his point guard abilities will probably be on display next season.

Bouldin possesses excellent size for the point guard position at 6’5, and efficiently uses it to back down defenders in the paint, where he displays a surprisingly refined set of post moves. His versatility on the offensive end is a good thing, because at least at this time he is not projecting as a full-time point guard at the next level. However, it is not a stretch to imagine him sharing duties with a scoring-minded point guard due to his size, vision, and ability to hit shots from the perimeter.

On defense, he must get better. He’s not much of a presence on the perimeter and is constantly giving his man shots from beyond the arc. He gets stuck fighting through (or going underneath) screens and gives his man far too much space to take his shot. He is a little slow in guarding slashing guards who often get by him and to the hoop. Getting beaten is one of the ways that he gets his 2.6 fouls per game. This number is also influenced by the fact that he falls for pump fakes and ball fakes too often. He does try, however, and his effort and enthusiasm on the court suggest that with experience, he can improve. He will never be a lockdown defender, but he could be a good one if he learns to stay in front of his man and uses his size to his advantage.

Bouldin is an interesting prospect because of how versatile he is on the offensive end of the court, as well as the intangibles and intelligence he brings to the game. Last season his passivity knocked down his draft stock, but considering his abilities and the fact that he was only a freshman, he still had an impressive season. With a larger role, higher expectations, and a slew of highly ranked opponents, Bouldin will have the opportunities to prove that he can be a consistent threat, and that he has the potential to succeed at the next level.

Weekly Top Performers (12/12): Part 2

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Jeremiah Kiehl
Jeremiah Kiehl
Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt
Jonathan Watters
Jonathan Watters
Dec 14, 2006, 04:47 am
Bouldin looks like a freshman, but plays with a poise that most grizzled veterans could only pray for. His stoic demeanor is a calming presence to his teammates, and the perfect contrast to one-speed backcourt mates Derek Raivio, Jeremy Pargo, and Pierre-Marie Altidor Cespedes.

While Raivio and Pargo handle many of the point guard duties, it is fairly clear that the freshman will end up spending a lot of time handling the ball. He doesn’t have prototypical point guard explosiveness, but makes up for by checking in at 6’5 and rarely struggling with freshman decision making foibles. Bouldin is a truly special passer, making sportscenter-worth plays look easy by consistently identifying and taking advantage of holes in the defense.

Once billed as much more of a shooting specialist, this tag would still be accurate if not for his emergence as a floor general. He gets good elevation and has a crisp release, seemingly comfortable shooting with a hand in his face. Though talented enough to demand his fair of shots, Bouldin is content to fit in with the flow of the offense and make his teammates better - to the point of being too unselfish. But then Bouldin will remind you he is on the court with an emphatic slashing or mid-range scoring move.

In today’s NBA, Brandon Roy-Deron Williams mold guards are only going to become more sought after. Bouldin could become a poster boy for this new trend, displaying all the well-rounded characteristics sought after by GM’s building modern systems. He is a dynamic point guard, but looks just as special off the ball.

Bouldin doesn’t come with the pedigree of some of his freshman classmates, but surprisingly few 2006 newcomers appear to be on Bouldin’s level as a prospect. The freshman could use a summer in the training room, but there is very little to dislike here. He is a first rounder whenever he decides to come out, but could lead the ‘Zags to new heights should he stick around for a couple of seasons.

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