By HUNTER O. LYLE
lyleoleanstar@gmail.com
BRADFORD, PA – Adding two massive games to his collegiate debut and helping the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford to their best start in decades, Braylen Salters has earned some recognition as the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Men’s Player of the Week.
Arriving at Pitt-Bradford’s campus by way of Richmond Heights, OH, the freshman has proven his worth as a starter. Through the Panthers’ historic 8-0 start, the best opening to a season since the University joined the NCAA, Salters has found his groove early. Already, the guard leads his team in points per game at 20.6 along with 3-pointers made – 22 – and total steals – 26.
“I’d be lying if I said that I knew he’d be this good right away,” said Pitt-Bradford mens’ basketball head coach Jesse DeLoof. “He fits how we play really well. He can score in many different ways, he’s really good at space, really athletic, really shifty. He’s got really good hands defensively. He has all the tools.”
This past week, Salters has raised the bar for what his talents can produce. In a week where the Panthers hosted Houghton and Hilbert, Salters has been the tip of the spear. In the 120-87 win against the Lions on Tuesday, Salters recorded a game-high 24 points while shooting 9-for-15 including 4-for-8 from 3-point range. Then, on Saturday, the freshman phenom erupted for 35 points on 12-for-23 shooting, again hitting four triples and also tallying five steals and four rebounds. Adding two standout performances to his growing resume, Salters averaged 29.5 points, three steals and 2.5 rebounds in his accolade-achieving week.
“We’re not calling plays for anybody so it’s not us drawing things up for him. Everyone has the greenlight to play within themselves and lean into what they do well. He does a lot of stuff well, especially offensively and in the press,” said DeLoof. “I think he’s really good in our defense and therefore he gets more opportunities on the offensive end.”
Beyond his work on the hardwood, DeLoof has seen the budding talent take initiative to help further the winning culture from a leadership standpoint.
“He has a really high basketball IQ. He’s really good at understanding what me and Coach Schneider want and then, for a freshman he does a really good job of relaying that to the team,” said DeLoof. “I see Braylen a lot of times in practice and in games kind of say what we’re saying just in his own words, which is impressive for a freshman. He has all the skill sets, he’s only going to get a more college body but his IQ, his brain for basketball, is really good. He gets the game.”
While the Panthers are currently enjoying a two-week hiatus for the holidays, they will look to pick up where they left off upon their return. After two games on Sunday, Dec. 29 and Monday, Dec. 30 in the Wooster Kiwanis Classic, they start conference play on Saturday, Jan. 4 against the defending AMCC Champions La Roche.
