Northwestern has been plagued with very poor play from their center position for years and it took a player from Romania to finally break the trend. Alex Olah is a 7 footer who has had his ups and downs during his time in Evanston. It was not until Coach Chris Collins arrived on campus that Alex Olah started to reach his potential as a basketball player and started to play like a dominant big man.
Editor’s note: this Doug McDermott feature article authored by new Sports Bank contributor Wes Evans. (@WesEvans24)
Olah (who is often referred to as “Olaf” by opponents visiting Northwestern. Sorry, no he’s not a cartoon snowman who likes warm hugs, nor is he an 11th century Norwegian King who was later deified) was recruited out of Traders Point Christian high school in Indianapolis, IN and committed to Northwestern in 2012. Alex Olah had interest from BC, Marquette and California but chose NU after his senior year of basketball wrapped up in the state playoffs.
Olah had some weaknesses coming out of high school that Big Ten teams exposed during his freshman and sophomore years. The main flaw in Olah’s game was his lack of athleticism, which was apparent when playing man to man defense against some of the more agile centers across the country. Getting beat off the dribble and unable to guard away from the basket, Olah was ineffective on the defensive side of the court in his first two years.
Coach Collins recognized Olah’s deficiency and instituted a 2 – 3 zone late in the 2014-15 season so that Olah could stay in the paint and protect the rim. This change in defense allowed Alex Olah to camp out in the paint and not worry about chasing his man around the floor. Alex Olah became the all-time career block leader for Northwestern last month against Indiana University and those blocks can be attributed to Olah’s help side rotation in the 2 – 3 zone.
Olah’s best asset throughout his career has been his offensive IQ that he has developed over the past three years. Olah is an above average passer and can hit a jumper from the outside when he is left open after setting a screen. Alex Olah might not move at the fastest pace, but he has a smooth stride for a 7-footer and good hands. Coach Collins has worked with Alex Olah on his foot work and it has shown on the stat sheet. Olah’s points-per-game averages have increased by 3 points each season and are almost up to 12 ppg this year.
Alex Olah has held his own against the likes of Frank Kaminski, Adam Woodbury and others during his junior year at Northwestern. Fans of the Cats can expect Olah to take another step forward next year and should be excited for the 2015-16 season under Coach Collins.
@WesEvans
Follow The Sports Bank on Twitter (@paulmbanks)
