Thomas Welsh

Wheat Hotchkiss

For Tyler Wideman, any opportunity to work out for an NBA team is a blessing. But being a Schererville, Ind. native and a Butler University graduate, Monday's pre-draft workout with the Pacers meant a little more.

"It's a little bit more special," Wideman said following his workout at the St. Vincent Center. "Butler's right down the street. It's the home team."

The 6-8, 240-pound forward accomplished a lot in his four years at Butler. He set school records for single-season and career field goal percentage. He ranks fifth in school history in blocked shots. He and classmate Kelan Martin are the first Butler players ever to win an NCAA Tournament game in each of their four seasons with the Bulldogs.

Off the court, Wideman was just as impressive. He was the recipient of the Big East Sportsmanship Award as a senior, an honor voted on by the league's head coaches. He graduated with a degree in Middle and Secondary Education. He has been active in the Indianapolis community, volunteering as a middle-school coach and interning at the Jewish Community Center.

Now, he's trying to prove to NBA scouts that he has what it takes to play at the next level.

You won't find Wideman's name in the first round of any mock drafts. It's unlikely that he hears his name called on draft night at all. But that doesn't mean he can't work his way into the NBA.

Wideman was extremely efficient at Butler, converting 62.3 percent of his attempts over the course of his career and 67.2 percent as a senior. But he did so playing a very limited offensive role, never attempting more than 5.3 shots per game in any of his four college seasons.

His shooting range is limited, something he needs to improve to fit into the modern NBA, where even big men are expected to space the floor and knock down open jumpers. Wideman went 0-for-6 from 3-point range in his career and didn't even shoot a high volume of mid-range jumpers.

His free throw percentages, however, show that there is potential for improvement in his shot. After posting a lowly .415 free throw percentage as a freshman, Wideman steadily improved from the charity stripe over his last three years in school. As a senior, he shot 82 percent from the line.

Wideman's limited shooting range and his height (even in the modern NBA, he's a little undersized for a big man) hurt his draft stock, but his work ethic and intangibles could allow him to impress a team in Summer League or the NBA G League.

It's definitely a mark in his favor that he has already shown he can check his ego at the door and play a specific role, something he did expertly in his time at Butler.

"I'm pretty much going to do whatever my team needs me to do," Wideman said.

"In high school, that was score a little bit more. In college, it was just make guys around me a little bit better. Defend, rebound, score when asked. I'll pretty much do whatever. (I'm a) jack-of-all trades."

Wideman has a few ties to the Pacers. He was high school teammates with Glenn Robinson III at Lake Central and has known rookie guard Edmond Sumner since childhood.

He's hoping to follow their path to the NBA, but even if professional basketball doesn't work out, he should have plenty of fallback options.

When asked on Monday what accomplishment he was most proud of from his four years at Butler, Wideman quickly replied that it was getting his degree.

"Anybody can win basketball games," Wideman said. "But having that degree is forever."

Miami's Bruce Brown Jr. (left) and Virginia's Devon Hall (right) are both attractive prospects to NBA scouts for their two-way potential.

The local media who attended Monday's workout focused primarily on Wideman and 19-year-old Bosnian forward Dzanan Musa, a likely first-round pick whose journey Mark Montieth profiled for Pacers.com.

But two other players in attendance are likely to hear their name called on draft night, Miami (Fla.) guard Bruce Brown Jr. and Virginia guard Devon Hall. ESPN.com's latest rankings list Brown as the 31st-best prospect in this year's draft class and list Hall as 50th.

The Pacers currently own the 23rd and 50th picks in next week's draft, which will take place on June 21 at Barclays Center.

Brown and Hall, both primarily shooting guards, have similar profiles. Brown measured at 6-5 and 195 pounds at the NBA Draft Combine, while Hall checked in at 6-6 and 206 pounds. Hall is a few years older (he was a fifth-year senior at Virginia, while Brown turned pro after two seasons at Miami), but both players are known for their ability to play on both ends of the floor.

For Brown, playing lock-down defense has been a big part of his game for as long as he can remember. He used his 6-9 wingspan to his advantage in college, like when he amassed four blocks and three steals in a game at Georgia Tech on Jan. 3 or when he tallied three blocks and three steals in an overtime win over Louisville on Jan. 24.

"Defense is really what gets me going," Brown said. "If I get a stop, I get a block, or I get a rebound, then I (can) push and score in transition. Defense is really big for me.

"And then offensively, just getting the easy bucket and finding my teammates is my game."

Brown averaged 11.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game as a sophomore. His athleticism is his strong suit on the offensive end. He showed flashes of playmaking ability that could allow him to slide over to point guard on occasion and thinks coach Jim Larrañaga's pro-style offense helped prepare him for the NBA.

"There's a lot of pick-and-rolls in the NBA," Brown said. "All we did at Miami is pick-and-roll and watch film. So knowing how to read defenses in the NBA will be big for me."

While he has the physical tools to succeed at the next level, whether or not Brown goes in the first round might hinge on his ability to show improvement with his jump shot.

After shooting 34.7 percent from 3-point range as a freshman, Brown converted just 16 of 60 attempts (26.7 percent) from beyond the arc as a sophomore.

The pre-draft process is also important for Brown to show that he is healthy, as he missed the last 12 games of his Miami career after undergoing surgery on his left foot at the end of January. Since the season ended, he has been cleared by doctors to return to the court, took part in athletic testing at the combine, and has been competing in all drills in pre-draft workouts.

While he's been jetting across the country for the past several weeks, Brown — who is one of 11 siblings — admitted that his anxiety is building as the calendar creeps toward draft night.

"I try to keep it in," he said on Monday. "I try not to pay attention to it, but I can't wait."

Hall had a productive career at Virginia, his role steadily increasing each year he spent in Charlottesville. He averaged 11.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists as a senior while shooting a career-best 43.2 percent from 3-point range.

The second-team All-ACC selection followed that up with a productive performance at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, a showcase for the top seniors in the country. Hall averaged 17.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.7 steals and knocked down 9-of-15 3-pointers over three games. He was one of just five players from Portsmouth who earned an invite to the combine.

In Hall's mind, the key to impressing teams in the pre-draft process is knowing your own abilities.

"I'm not trying to go out here and create miracles or anything," he said Monday. "I'm going to be myself. Show that I can shoot, defend, play at multiple positions."

Playing at Virginia, Hall enjoyed plenty of success in college, winning two ACC regular season championships. Under Tony Bennett, the Cavaliers play a unique system, slowing down the pace on both ends and relying on their stout "pack line defense." Hall believes Bennett's defensive principles will help him on that end of the floor in the NBA.

"You've got to be smart to play at UVA, know the game well defensively," he said.

But at the same time, Hall acknowledged that it will be an adjustment offensively as he moves to the next level. But he believes that he has the ability to play at a faster pace and create offense in isolation situations, something he did not really have the opportunity to do in college.

Like Brown, Hall is a firm believer that his all-around skill set will be his ticket to the next level.

"I'm guarding on one end and able to make plays on the other end as well," Hall said. "I just talked to Coach (Nate McMillan) about that and he said he wants two-way players. I think that's me."

UCLA center Thomas Welsh showcased his improved shooting range on Monday.

Welsh Hoping Expanded Offensive Game is Ticket to Next Level

The fifth and final player at Monday's pre-draft workout was UCLA center Thomas Welsh (Tulane forward Melvin Frazier was originally scheduled to participate in the workout, but was not in attendance on Monday). The 7-footer was a three-year starter and four-year rotation player for the Bruins.

He was teammates with current Pacers players TJ Leaf and Ike Anigbogu in 2016-17, starting ahead of Anigbogu, and had the chance to catch up with his former teammates over dinner on Sunday night.

Welsh's production steadily increased in his four years playing for Steve Alford, culminating in a senior season when he averaged 12.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.

When examining Welsh's stats, one major thing stands out — the seemingly sudden development of a 3-point shot.

Welsh did not attempt a single three in his first two years in college and took just one as junior (which he made). But he took 112 as a senior (an average of 3.4 per game) and made 45 to post an impressive .402 3-point percentage.

For Welsh, that development was the product of years of hard work.

"I think over my four years I've been working on just slowly extending my range a couple (feet) every year," he said. "I think my junior year...it was about 18-feet range. I continued working that summer and I extended it out to about 21 feet to the college 3-point line and just felt really comfortable shooting it.

"It's been a gradual process, but I'm starting to feel much more confident about it."

While he is still unlikely to be drafted, Welsh's improved shooting range definitely makes him a more attractive fit to NBA teams. He could be a prime candidate for a two-way contract, which would allow him to continue to develop in the G League while spending up to 45 days with an NBA team.

And having played with a slew of current and future NBA players at UCLA, Welsh is definitely comfortable as a role player.

"I'm a guy that's going to do the little things," he said. "Rebounding, being in the right position, talking on (defense) — just try to do all the small things to help the team win."

local-favorite-wideman-works-out-for-home-team

Local Favorite Wideman Works Out for "Home Team"

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Height: 7-0
Weight: 255
Position: C
College: UCLA
Age: 22

PPG: 12.6
RPG: 10.8
APG: 1.4
BLK: 0.9
STL: 0.7

Career
Through four seasons, averaged 9.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in 132 contests (94 starts) … concluded his collegiate career with totals of 1,248 points, 1,035 rebounds, 143 blocked shots and 103 assists … ascended to the No. 3 spot on UCLA’s career rebounds list (1,035) … also finished his career as UCLA’s No. 38 all-time scorer (1,248) … registered 37 career double-doubles, tied as the sixth-highest total in program history … played in 132 career games, the eighth-highest total in school history … also ranks No. 3 all-time at UCLA in blocks (143) and No. 5 in blocked shots per game (1.09) … shot 53.7 percent from the field in four seasons.

2017-18
Started all 33 games … averaged 12.6 points per game … led the team and ranked second in the Pac-12 in rebounding (10.8 rpg) … had UCLA’s highest rebounding average since David Greenwood in 1977-78 (11.4 rpg) … secured second-team All-Pac-12 Conference honors … also was named an honorable mention on the Pac-12 All-Academic Team … earned Pac-12 All-Tournament Team honors … was a second-team NABC Division I All-District selection … captured USBWA All-District IX honors … was one of five finalists for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award … was one of two players in the Pac-12 (along with Arizona freshman Deandre Ayton) to average at least 10 points and 10 rebounds per game … scored in double figures in 23 of 32 games … registered at least 10 rebounds in 22 of 32 games … totaled 18 double-doubles, the Bruins’ highest single-season total since Kevin Love had 23 double-doubles as a freshman in 2007-08 … scored at least 20 points in three games … recorded 358 rebounds, the school’s largest single-season total since Love had 415 rebounds in 2007-08 … shot 48.5 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from three-point territory (45-of-112), having attempted one three-pointer prior to his senior season … scored a season-high 22 points (tied his career high) at Michigan (Dec. 9) … twice totaled a career-high 17 rebounds – versus Oregon State (Feb. 15) and in the NCAA Tournament against St. Bonaventure (March 13) … totaled a season-high nine field goals at home against Colorado (Jan. 13), going 9-for-10 from the field and 2-for-3 from three-point territory … tallied a career-high four three-pointers in two games – at California (Jan. 6) and versus Stanford in the Pac-12 Tournament (March 8), going 4-for-6 from beyond the arc in both contests … played at least 30 minutes in 26 of 33 games … was one of two players, along with junior Aaron Holiday, to start in all 33 games for UCLA.

2016-17
Played in 32 games (32 starts) … averaged 10.8 points per game … led the Bruins in both rebounding (8.7 rpg) and blocked shots (43 blocks, 1.3 bpg) for the second consecutive season … named an honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection … finished his junior year ranking seventh in the Pac-12 in rebounding (8.7), fifth in defensive rebounds per game (6.5) and fifth in overall field goal percentage (58.5 pct) … recorded the second-highest field goal percentage on the team, making 151 of 258 shots … captured second-team Pac-12 All-Academic honors for the second straight year … became just the third men’s basketball player in school history to have earned Pac-12 All-Academic Team honors in multiple seasons (joining George Zidek and Alfred Aboya in that category) … scored in double figures in 21 of 32 games played … scored a season-high 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a two-point loss at Oregon (Dec. 28) … totaled nine double-doubles and had 10 games with at least 10 rebounds … recorded a career-high-tying 16 rebounds in UCLA’s 102-70 home victory against USC (Feb. 18), finishing that game with 16 points … totaled a season-high eight field goals in four games – versus Portland (Nov. 24), Oregon (Dec. 28), Washington State (Feb. 1) and USC (Feb. 18) … had three double-doubles in Pac-12 play and one double-double in the Pac-12 Tournament (vs. USC, March 9) … did not play in four consecutive games in December due to a bruised right knee (Dec. 10-21).

2015-16
Played in 31 games, making 26 starts … averaged 11.2 points per game … led the Bruins in both rebounding (8.5 rpg) and blocked shots (32 blocks, 1.0 bpg) … finished his sophomore campaign ranking seventh in the Pac-12 in rebounding (8.5), second in offensive rebounds per game (3.2) and third in field goal percentage (59.0 pct) … led the Bruins in field goal percentage, making 157 of 266 shots … improved his overall shooting by 12 percentage points from his freshman season (47 percent to 59 percent) … secured second-team Pac-12 All-Academic honors, becoming UCLA’s first Pac-12 All-Academic selection since Mustafa Abdul-Hamid and Malcolm Lee in 2009-10 … scored in double figures in 20 games and tallied a team-leading 10 double-doubles … reached the 20-point plateau in three games … finished with at least 10 rebounds in 12 games … scored a season-high 22 points in the team’s win over Cal Poly (Nov. 15), connecting on a career-high 10 field goals in 12 shot attempts … secured Pac-12 Player of the Week honors for the week of Nov. 30-Dec. 6, averaging 18.0 points and 10.5 rebounds per game in a pair of wins over No. 1 Kentucky and Long Beach State … recorded his second career double-double in UCLA’s 87-77 win over Kentucky (Dec. 3), finishing with 21 points and 11 rebounds … also had 15 points and 10 rebounds in the team’s 83-76 victory against Long Beach State (Dec. 6) … twice grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds – had 12 points and 16 boards in a win over Arizona State (Jan. 9) and grabbed 16 rebounds in a loss at California (Feb. 25) … had a career-high five blocks, also totaling 12 points and 10 rebounds, in a season-opening overtime loss to Monmouth (Nov. 13) … shot 75.6 percent from the free throw line (34-45), making each of his final 16 free throw attempts (last missed in the first half against Arizona on Jan. 7, 2016) … did not play in UCLA’s win over Louisiana-Lafayette due to a stomach virus (Dec. 15).

2014-15
Played in all 36 games, making three starts … averaged 3.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and a team-leading 1.1 blocks in 15.7 minutes per game as a freshman … shot 47.0 percent from the field (62-132) … totaled a season-high 14 points in the team’s season-opening win versus Montana State (Nov. 14) … also scored in double figures (12 points) against UAB at the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament (Nov. 28) … grabbed a season-high nine rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench at Colorado (Jan. 2) … twice registered a season-high four blocks – versus Washington State (March 1) and against SMU (March 19) in a second-round NCAA Tournament game … started at center against Oregon State (Jan. 22) and Oregon (Jan. 24) in place of an injured Tony Parker … also started in UCLA’s home game versus Washington State (March 1).

High School
Three-year varsity basketball letterwinner at Loyola High School of Los Angeles under head coach Jamal Adams … ranked the No. 17 player, nationally, in his high school class by Scout.com … also was rated the No. 36 player in the country by ESPN.com and No. 41 by Rivals.com … was listed as the No. 5 center in the nation in his class by Scout.com … earned 2014 McDonald’s All-America honors and played in the McDonald’s All-America Game on April 2, 2014, at the United Center in Chicago … as a senior at Loyola, averaged 15.3 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.7 blocks and 1.4 assists per game in all 31 contests … shot 59 percent overall from the field and 70 percent from the free throw line … helped guide the Cubs to a 27-4 overall record in 2013-14 … earned second-team MaxPreps California all-state honors, in addition to being named an a Los Angeles Times All-Area Team selection and CIF Southern Section All-Open Division Team selection … secured first-team All-Mission League honors as a junior and senior, being named the Mission League Player of the Year as a senior … averaged 12.6 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game as a junior (2012-13) … helped lead Loyola to a 25-8 overall record and Mission League title as a junior ... shot 65 percent from the field as a junior, recording 88 blocks in 31 games (2.8 bpg) … registered 3.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game in 31 varsity contests as a sophomore (2011-12) … shot 52 percent from the field as a sophomore, recording 18 blocks (0.6 bpg) … played club basketball for the Los Angeles Rockfish.

USA Basketball
Helped the Team USA men’s basketball U19 squad win the gold medal in the summer of 2015 at the FIBA U19 World Championships in Greece (city of Heraklion on the island of Crete) … Team USA went 7-0 in the tournament, capped by an overtime win over Croatia in the gold medal game … Welsh averaged 2.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 9.2 minutes per game.

Personal
Full name: Thomas Welsh … born in Torrance, Calif. … is the second of Pat and Kathy Welsh’s three sons … has one older brother, Jack, and one younger brother, Henry, who plays on the basketball team at Harvard University (Cambridge, Mass.) … spent one season playing alongside his brother Henry on Loyola’s varsity team (Thomas was a senior in 2013-14, while Henry was a sophomore) … his great grandfather (maternal side), Bob Boken, played baseball for MLB’s Washington Senators in 1933 and for the Chicago White Sox in 1934 … Welsh was the first freshman to enroll at UCLA from Loyola High School since Toby Bailey in the fall of 1994 … economics major.

thomas-welsh-2018-draft-prospect

Thomas Welsh: 2018 Draft Prospect

The Pacers will hold their third pre-draft workout in preparation for the 2018 NBA Draft on Monday, June 11 at the St. Vincent Center.

The six players scheduled to participate in workouts are Bruce Brown Jr. (Miami, Fla.), Melvin Frazier (Tulane), Devon Hall (Virginia), Džanan Musa (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Thomas Welsh (UCLA), and Tyler Wideman (Butler).

PHOTOS: Learn More About the Participants »

The 2018 NBA Draft will take place on Thursday, June 21 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The Pacers own two picks in this year's draft, one pick in both the first and second rounds, the 23rd and 50th overall selections.

PROSPECT BIOS: Brown Jr. »   Frazier »   Hall »   Musa »   Welsh »   Wideman »

Thomas Welsh

Local Favorite Wideman Works Out for "Home Team"

Thomas Welsh: 2018 Draft Prospect

Pacers to Hold Third Pre-Draft Workout on Monday, June 11