MBA Impresses At Portsmouth Invitational

University of Washington and GB forward Matthew Bryan-Amaning is forcing NBA scouts to take notice after an impressive showing at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.

The Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, in it’s 59th year, is the premier showcase for college seniors across the US and has representatives from all NBA teams in attendance. Playing for Sales System Ltd who went 1-2 over their three games, MBA averaged 17 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.6 steals and 1.3 blocks, shooting 45% from the field (19/42) and 65% at the line (13/20).

Bryan-Amaning is currently projected to be drafted in the late second round of the 2011 NBA draft by NBADraft.net and is looking to climb the board over the next couple of months through team workouts which start at the end of May.

Speaking to Hoopsfix about how he felt about his individual performance at the tournament, he said:

“Good. I just wanted to play with a lot of energy and aggression. I was able to show I can do a lot more things than I was able to display in college.”

He remains unsure however, where, if anywhere, he will get drafted:

“As of right now, you just don’t know. I could go anywhere from mid-second round to un-drafted. There’s a lot of time before the draft that I can improve my stock during team workouts.”

College basketball site The Hoops Report gave MBA a B+ for his performance over the week, commenting:

“Bryan-Amaning played hard all week on both ends of the court. He crashed the boards, played defense and attacked the basket. He missed some shots, but his aggressiveness and intensity was impressive.”

Ryan Feldman from The Hoops Report also tweeted during the week of MBA’s improved ball handling and hard work.

Rob Reheuser, writing for NBA.com, felt Bryan-Amaning has definitely improved his standing amongst NBA teams this week with his performance:

“The 6-foot-9 Bryan-Amaning followed his break through senior season with a solid performance at the PIT, averaging 17.0 points and 6.3 rebounds. He was able to score in the post with a variety of herky-jerky moves that kept defenders off balance. A very good athlete with a ridiculous wingspan, Bryan-Amaning has a few things NBA scouts tend to look for. He definitely earned a few bucks this week.”

Matthew Bryan-Amaning full game stats at Portsmouth Invitational Tournament:

(click links for boxscore)
Game 1 vs K & D Rounds Landscaping:
31 minutes, 16 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals, 7/16 shooting, 2/5 at the line

Game 2 vs Norfolk Sports Club:
27 minutes, 16 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, 5 steals, 6/14 shooting, 4/6 at the line

Game 3 vs Mike Duman:
29 minutes, 19 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 6/12 shooting, 7/9 from the line

Is Matthew Bryan-Amaning going to be the next Brit in the NBA? Drop a comment and let us know what you think!