Five months ago, Bradley was on a mission to capture the Myrtle Beach Invitational Championship. In the semifinal, they found themselves locked in battle with Wright State — a game that featured big-time shots, late-game execution and a guard who refused to back down.
That guard was Alex Huibregtse.
Wright State’s sharpshooter left his mark with 13 points, four assists and two steals, giving Bradley trouble on both ends of the floor.
Ultimately, the Braves escaped with a 77-74 win and head coach Brian Wardle tipped his cap to a program he knew all too well.
“They’ve been good for many years now,” Wardle said of Wright State. “They were good when I was in the Horizon League at Green Bay. The coaches always win there.”
Fast forward to April, and Wardle has ensured that a piece of that winning tradition is coming with him. Huibregtse is headed to Bradley, not as an opponent, but as a Brave.
Huibregtse wasn’t just a problem for Bradley. He averaged 13.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists in his final season as a Raider. The guard will add another veteran presence to a Braves team filled with young talent as he enters his sixth collegiate season of basketball, having taken a medical redshirt and a COVID year.
The Grafton, Wisconsin, native announced his commitment in a simple tweet that read, “Peoria, what’s good?! #COMMITTED.”
Now, let’s break down what makes Huibregtse a good addition to the Hilltop.
Strengths
Huibregtse’s biggest strength is his ability to put stress on defenses using his shooting.
Defenders simply have to get a hand in his face, or it’s a bucket.
He excels at using ball screens and punishes any team that plays drop coverage against him. Huibregtse shot 37.5% from behind the arc on 13 attempts per 100 possessions and had a three-point attempt rate of 67
For context, Huibregtse was one of 39 players in the country to shoot 37% from three or higher on 13 attempts per 100 and have at least 80 makes.
However, Huibregtse isn’t strictly a three-point specialist. The guard is adept at knocking down shots from the mid-range (50.9% on pull-up jumpers), finishing efficiently at the rim (64.3% in the half-court) and getting his teammates involved. Huibregtse functioned as a combo guard in Wright State’s offense, yet still posted a solid 16.2 assist percentage and had a 1.9 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Huibregtse is a plug-and-play player because he has a portable skill set and doesn’t need the ball in his hands (20.8 USG%) to score and can get his buckets in the flow of an offense. He is skilled at cutting, relocating and coming off of pin-downs, flare screens and curl cuts.
However, Huibregtse is not as effective on the other side of the ball. Nevertheless, he generally moves his feet well, forces opponents into tough shots and chases defenders through off-ball screens.
Improvement areas
Despite his polished offensive game, there are still areas in which Huibregtse can improve.
Most notably is his ability to attack the rim and free throw line off of the bounce.
The guard made just 18 shots at the rim in the halfcourt and most came from cuts. Opponents are likely to send aggressive defensive coverages when Huibregtse engages in ball screen actions due to his shooting ability, and he will have to counter by getting downhill or making a quick pass.
Defensively, there’s room for improvement as well.
Huibregtse can sometimes struggle with his defense off the ball, occasionally falling asleep in space or over-helping on the weak side. As the primary defender guarding spot-ups, he allowed 1.284 points per possession and opponents shot 47.6% from the field and 48% from the three. However, he did have to make up for the mistakes of others quite a bit, and opponents knocked down a few well-defended shots.
So, what does all this mean for Huibregtse’s role on next year’s team?
Projected role
The former Raider could be used similarly to the former Brave, Connor Hickman. Hickman operated as a secondary ball handler who ran pick-and-rolls, came off screens and was effective as an isolation scorer.
Huibregtse will also serve as a safety valve for guards Demarion Burch and Jaquan Johnson, who are expected to have an increased role next year. The guard will fit seamlessly into Bradley’s offense, which ranked first in the country in effective field goal percentage and pick and roll efficiency.
When Huibregtse makes the trek up the Hilltop, he will instantly add reliable shooting, high basketball IQ and years worth of experience. The graduate senior will bolster a team already equipped to score and give Bradley another option down the stretch.
Bradley beat the sharpshooter once, now he’ll try to help the Braves cut down some nets.
