The 2019 NBA Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. The Game Haus will be doing scouting reports on some of the top prospects in the 2019 NBA Draft. Maryland center Bruno Fernando spent two seasons working on his craft at Maryland and is now heading to the pros.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6wRvfeOfs4

Background

Position: Center

Class: Sophomore

2018-2019 stats: 13.6 points per game, 10.6 rebounds per game, 2.0 assists per game, 0.6 steals per game, 1.9 blocks per game, 60.7% field goal, 30.8% 3 point

Size: 6-foot-10, 240 pounds

Fernando was a four-star prospect in the 2017 recruiting class and the 71st ranked prospect overall, as ranked by 247 Sports. Even though he wasn’t as highly-recruited as other NBA Draft prospects, Fernando played well enough over two seasons at Maryland to be seen as a first-round draft prospect.

Over his two seasons, Fernando was named to the All-Big Ten team and the Big Ten All-Defensive team. In his freshman season, Fernando helped lead the Terrapins to a 24-9 record. They got a six seed in the 2018 NCAA Tournament, but lost to Xavier in the first round. As a sophomore, Fernando and Maryland finished the season with a 23-11 record. They got a six seed again and lost to LSU in the second round.

His potential may be limited by the fact that he is more of an old school big man, but he will still be coveted by NBA teams. He likely won’t be a top 10 pick, but should be a candidate to be selected in the middle of the first round.

Strengths

Fernando is built like a brick wall and will not be pushed around easily in the NBA. At 6-foot-10 and 240 pounds, he has one of the most filled out bodies for big men in this draft class. He has a wingspan of over 7-feet, which just makes his strength more menacing. There will be taller players in the NBA, but given his build, he should be able to match up with them.

Around the rim, Fernando is great. He overpowers defenders and can throw down strong dunks. Fernando finishes through contact and over outstretched arms. He also has a wide variety of post moves that he uses and that are hard to match up with. Fernando has a hook shot, can shoot off of spins and can do much more from the block.

His footwork and athletic ability are also assets to his game. He can run the floor well for his size and can finish in transition. Fernando sets himself up well and moves his feet to position himself even better in the post. He can go get the ball if it is thrown off target to him or can use his footwork and athletic ability to get more rebounds, which is another thing he excels at.

Weaknesses

Because Fernando is more of an old school center, it may be hard to keep him on the floor in fourth quarters. He can not stretch the floor with his shooting. He hit over 30 percent of his threes in college, but only took those shots as a last resort. If he can develop more of an outside shot, he will be a more dynamic player, but he isn’t quite there yet. He did hit 77.9 percent of his free throws, so at the very least he should be able to develop a mid-range game.

Although he got better at this as a sophomore, Fernando needs to continue to work on his passing out of the post. He turned the ball over too much and needs to protect the ball more. The floor in the NBA will be more spaced out, which will help, but he also needs to be aware of where his teammates are on the floor so he can pass to them and make the correct basketball play.

At 6-foot-10, there will be taller centers that he’ll have to match up with in the NBA. He’ll need to use his footwork, positioning, strength and length to try and compete with those players. Fernando won’t be able to win every time, but should be able to hold his own at the very least against the taller centers in the league.

Projected Draft Range: Mid-first round pick

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