Eric Mika — PF, 6-10, 230
Freshman, 19 years old
Season (25.6 mpg): 11.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1 APG
53% FG, 5.5 FTA (62% FT), 3.2 fouls
Quincy Lewis (high school coach): 801-368-4622
Hometown: Alpine, UT
From “Revisiting ‘Under the Radar’ College Freshmen”
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Eric Mika | BYU
PF, 6-10, 230
19 years old
Season (25.6 mpg): 11.8 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1 APG
53% FG, 5.5 FTA (62% FT), 3.2 fouls
Trending: Up
Outlook: Mika had a large impact as a freshman. A 6-10 post player, he is strong physically—which makes him a great rebounder—and he has a pure jump shot from the foul line.
So, overall, Mika’s best skills are his rebounding, foul line jump shot, and his consistent effort.
Mika has a “junkyard dog” mentality on the glass, as he tracks down rebounds with consistency. Down low, Mika knows how to seal his man and he can finish through contact.
Going forward, Mika needs to develop his offensive arsenal, to be more than just a face up player. He’s not a great athlete, so it’s difficult to assume that his rebounding ability will translate to the next level.
All that said, none of this is relevant for the immediate future because Mika is leaving for a two-year LDS Church Mission, beginning this spring. He will return to BYU at the start of the 2016-17 season, as a 21-year-old sophomore.
He needs to develop his post-up game, and show that he’s able to circumvent his limited athletic ability to dominate games. We’ll hopefully find out in 2016.
Video
Offensive Rebounds
Defensive Rebounds
Finishing Around the Basket
Face Up Misses
Post Up Makes
From “‘Under the Radar'” College Freshmen
Eric Mika | BYU
C, 6-10, 220
Quick Thoughts: Even as a freshman, Mika should be one of the best rebounders and most physical centers in West Coast Conference, if not the entire country. He was the focal point of Lone Peak High School, which at one point was ranked No. 1 in the nation.
Mika is a traditional low-post center on the high school level, as he controls the paint, knows how to seal his man and can finish through contact. Mika doesn’t need to be “featured” to be effective, as he does the “little things” – setting hard screens, actively roaming the paint and attacking the glass.
If he can develop a 15-foot jumper, Mika should be an All-League player at BYU. The “problem”, though, is that Mika will depart on his Mormon mission after his freshman year, which could stunt his development. It will be an interesting situation to monitor.
How He Fits:
Projected Starting Lineup
C — Eric Mika (Fr)
F — Nate Austin (Jr)
G — Kyle Collinsworth (So)
G — Tyler Haws (Jr)
G — Matt Carlino (Jr)
Replacing Brandon Davies is not going to be easy, but Mika has the talent to do just that. In addition to getting post touches, I expect Dave Rose to use Mika as the team’s primary screener and to have him run the baseline. If he can stay out of foul trouble, Mika will be featured in every game.