One of the most efficient players in the country had easily his worst shooting games of the season here against Wake Forest, going a miserable 6 for 20 from the field. The heady senior still managed to make his presence felt getting to the free throw line 7 times, scoring 17 points, pulling down 8 rebounds and dishing out 3 assists, which is very typical of the type of player he is.
Even after his frustrating night against Wake, Cummard still ranks as one of the most efficient players in college basketball. He continues to lead the nation in true shooting percentage, thanks to the outstanding 58% he shoots from the field, as well as 41% from beyond the arc and 80% from the free throw line.
Cummard has an absolutely beautiful stroke from the perimeter, as well as a lightning quick release, being capable of setting his feet and shoulders instantaneously to get his shot off. He is much more than just a spot-up shooter, looking very comfortable coming off screens, and also doing an excellent job knocking down shots off the dribble after creating space. Cummard is not one-dimensional in the least bit (only 25% of his attempts come from beyond the arc) as he is very effective taking his man down to the post, showing nice footwork, great smarts using his body to create space, and a beautiful turnaround jumper, and also being able to get to the hoop off the dribble using either hand showing above average ball-handling skills. He is very smart moving off the ball, executing impeccably within his teams half-court offense, and can create opportunities for his teammates as well with his solid court vision and passing skills. All things considered, Cummard might be one of the toughest players to defend in college basketball, given the multitude of ways he can hurt the opposition.
Beyond his excellent skill-level, Cummard is a real competitor, something that we were able to witness up close and personal due to our terrific vantage point in this game. He is extremely tough despite his frail frame, and is much more active looking to make his presence felt than his super-efficient numbers might lead you to believe. He took responsibilities on the court and was the absolute man for BYU in the clutch, being a little bit unlucky in this game to see some very makeable shots not fall for him, which was pretty surprising. Look no further than the excellent rebounding numbers Cummard puts up at the small forward position to see how tough and active a player he is. Hes the type of player who is always around the ball and gets his fingers on pretty much everything in his area, often winning his team extra possessions in the process.
Defensively, Cummard struggled at times matching up with a hyper-athletic combo forward like Al-Farouq Aminu, who was not shy about taking him down to the post. His lack of strength and lateral quickness limits him to a certain extent at the next level, but he is really smart and intense on this end of the floor, knowing how to use his terrific timing and length to contest shots effectively and eventually emerge as a pretty solid defender at the college ranks.
Definitely not the exact prototype for what the NBA is typically looking for in a wing player, Cummard appears to bring enough to the table to compensate for his shortcomings, and should be able to carve out a niche for himself in the league if he manages to land in the right situation. Players with his skill-level and all-around versatility surely do not grow on trees, and there are definitely a number of coaches in the NBA who can figure out a way to utilize him.
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