Film Room: Aaron Bradshaw

The recruitment of Aaron Bradshaw has been a bit of a stressful one for Big Blue Nation. After receiving his scholarship offer back in April, and taking an official visit on June 10th, he Kentucky Wildcats were trending for the 5-star center. A commitment felt imminent at the time, but the breaks were put on those hopes. Visits to other schools were scheduled and a November commitment date was set. However, in the end, Bradshaw made a surprise announcement just moments before Big Blue Madness was set to tip-off on Friday night. Coach John Calipari and company were able to seal the deal on the Camden High School star. Bradshaw’s commitment is the fourth in Kentucky’s Class of 2023 joining five-star guards Justin Edwards and Robert Dillingham, along with four-star guard Reed Sheppard.

Bradshaw is a 7’1″ center ranked #17 in the class by On3, but #7 in the Consensus rankings. Long thought of as one of the best rim protectors in the 2023 class, the 5-star big man saw his ranking shoot up over the summer as his offensive game continued to expand. He has excellent fundamentals offensively as a rim-runner, roll man, or hanging out in the dunker’s spot. Additionally, even at 7’1″, he can effectively space the floor out to three-point range. The New Jersey product projects as a two-way threat that will impact the game from day one in Lexington.

After the surprise commitment on Friday night, we immediately got to work in the KSR Film Room. After seeing him in person over the summer, and hours of film study, we will look to breakdown Kentucky’s newest member of the 2023 class. Bradshaw is a versatile talent that has the chance to be a star. However, the defensive floor is very high and some offensive intangibles will allow him to be a major contributor right away. Let’s dive on into the film room and get to know more about Aaron Bradshaw.

Rim-Running, Roll Man, Dunker’s Spot

Back when Lance Ware committed to Kentucky, we talked about how well coached Camden High School was. Well, that still rings true with Aaron Bradshaw joining the ‘Cats. For a 5-star center, his tools around the basket are very refined. He has been taught well as a rim-runner, roll man, and how to slide along the baseline in the dunker’s spot. At 7’1″, his length allows him to get catches above the defense and he does a great job of keeping the ball high. When running the floor he always sprints directly to the front of the rim. In ballscreen situations, he is patient on his roll and reads the defense well to dive into space. Those are skills that translates right away to the collegiate level. Let’s dive into the film.

There is nothing flashy at all about this clip. However, Aaron Bradshaw never stops running until he gets to the front of the rim which allows him to get an easy dunk. If he were to float outside of the lane line he would not have finished this play. If he had stopped running to the rim he would not have gotten behind the defense. These are the plays that will make him a starting center from the moment he steps on campus at Kentucky.

This is another example of the high level detail to Aaron Bradshaw’s game. Again, there is nothing flashy about this play. On the surface this is just a typical ballscreen and roll. However, it is the path that Bradshaw takes to the rim that stands out on film. A lot of young big men make the mistake of rolling in a straight line from where they set their screen. Bradshaw does a great job though of cutting back towards the ball and the front of the rim which gets him open for the pass and dunk. If he had rolled down the lane line he would not have been open. These are the details that win you basketball games at the next level.

You can’t teach 7’1″. This is a very tough catch for Aaron Bradshaw to make while rolling to the basket. His long arms and balance allows him to go get the pass and still finish. Bradshaw’s ability to keep the ball above his shoulders, stop on a dime, and lay the ball in the basket is a very high level play for a kid his age. Plays like this are why he is a 5-star prospect that Coach Calipari wanted so badly.

As a basketball coach, plays like this get you out of your seat when breaking down film. Aaron Bradshaw is excellent playing along the baseline in the dunker’s spot. He has his hands ready, slides with the offense, and then does a great job of getting his shoulder’s square to the backboard. Taking the one big power dribble gets him to the other side of the rim where he is wide open for a slam. The quickness he displays here is what separates him from a lot of five men. Love his ability around the rim.

Shooting and Offensive Rebounding

When you look at Aaron Bradshaw you don’t necessarily think of an old school big man. He has the obvious height, but is still very thin. However, as the film proved above, he has a lot of interior traits that will translate right away. While those skills are excellent to have, Bradshaw can also stretch the floor like a more “modern” big man. He has a smooth shooting stroke, a quick release, and will be a guy who can step out to three-point range. Additionally, his length and athleticism makes him an excellent offensive rebounder. Bradshaw plays a much stronger brand of basketball than his body type might indicate. Let’s take a look at the tape.

This is a ballscreen that Kentucky fans would love to see a whole lot of next season. DJ Wagner comes off of the screen, Aaron Bradshaw pops to the top of the key, and the big man knocks in the three-pointer. First of all, that is a very physical screen set by Bradshaw. He completely stops the defender in his tracks which eventually gets him open on the pop. The lower body isn’t perfect on the catch, but Bradshaw gets the shot off quick and has a fluid shooting motion. He releases the ball high, has his hand underneath the ball, and his shoulders stacked over his hips and feet. This is a confident shot from a 7’1″ center who will likely make three-pointers in college.

The truth is, Coach Calipari may or may not give Aaron Bradshaw the green light to shoot three-pointers. He likely will make enough to earn that trust, but it will come in time. However, these are the shots we will definitely see the 5-star big man make in Lexington. Oscar Tshiebwe shot these at a high percentage last season as well. When Bradshaw gets a catch in the 16-18 foot range he will force his defender to respect the jump shot. Here, the defender is a couple of full steps off and can’t really contest the shot. He is still bow-legged in the bottom half, but the release is smooth and pure. Shots like this will open up his ability to take one or two dribbles and drive the ball to his right as well. Bradshaw is a very good offensive talent.

It has been a common theme through this film room, but Aaron Bradshaw plays so much stronger than he looks. He consistently rebounds with two hands which allows him to get some tough ones outside of his area. In this clip, Bradshaw snatches a tough rebound over two defenders. However, the most impressive part comes after securing the offensive rebound. The awareness to immediately make the correct move requires a high level basketball IQ. Bradshaw takes one power dribble between his feet, drops steps to his left shoulder, and then finishes above the rim with two hands. That is a strong, physical play by Kentucky’s newest commitment.

Much like the last clip, this is a rebound that Bradshaw only secures because he goes after it with two hands. The 7’1″ center comes from behind the play, secures the rebound, and then goes right back up for the two-handed dunk. A lot of young big men, especially those who aren’t as physical, would need to take a dribble before going back up. However, Bradshaw keeps the ball above his shoulders at all times with a strong grip and gets back up quickly for the slam. This is a big time basketball play.

Bradshaw as a Rim Protector

So far we’ve focused on what Aaron Bradshaw can do on the offensive end. However, he is probably best known for his shot blocking and rim protection at this point in his development. At 7’1″ with crazy length he is arguably the best shot blocker in the senior class and will give Coach Calipari an old-school force at the rim. His mobility, instincts, and obvious length will make him an instant impact defender around the basket.

The sign of a truly elite shot blocker is the ability not leave your feet until the ball is already released. Young big men sometimes are too quick to jump and try to make the highlight reel play. This can lead to fouling and getting out of position for rebounds. However, Aaron Bradshaw does not have that problem. When the offensive player first met Bradshaw at the end of his drive the mere presence of his 7’1″ frame got him to pivot back to his right. Bradshaw stayed on the floor and waited for the release. He jumped after the offensive player left the floor and was able to get his fingers on the ball at the high point. The controlled block allowed his team to gain possession of the ball as well.

Bradshaw has great instincts coming as the help defender to block shots. He reads the offensive player well to not jump too soon and not over help off of his own man. His extreme length allows him to reach balls that a lot of other guys simply couldn’t get to as well. The ability to consistently come from off of the ball and block shots will eventually get opponents to constantly worry about where Bradshaw is when they drive to the basket.