Keitenn Bristow
PF/F, 6’8” (190)
ESPN 300 (264), Three-Star No. 36 PF
Despite being the Texas 3A PoTY, Keitenn Bristow was a lightly-recruited three-star power forward out of the small town of Holliday. With its proximity to Lubbock, North Texas, and the DFW metroplex, you’d think someone would have offered a player with 2100 points and 500 career rebounds. That was not the case, though. Not even UTSA, SFA, Sam Houston or North Texas offered him — much less the major D1 players in the state. The biggest “name” that came calling for Bristow was Will Wade, serving his Strong Ass Exile at McNeese State.
Keitenn instead stayed at home, and went to tiny Tarleton State, part of the A&M system two hours south (tiny by Texas standards — it still has 14,000 students). The Texans are not a renowned athletic powerhouse, and playing in the WAC is not exactly how to get major eyeballs on you either. TSU was still a D2 school just four years ago. However, Bristow not only thrived at Tarleton, he was the unalloyed star on an otherwise miserable TSU squad. The 288th-ranked Texans had the 359th worst offense in the country (out of 364 teams), and were only that good because Bristow carried them.
In fact, he was so good at Tarleton that he was named the WAC Freshman of the year, an impressive feat on a team that lost nine games to Q4 opponents. He average 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1 block, 1 steal, and 1.5 assists per contest on 42% floor shooting (80% FT, 33% 3PT).
Bristow is the definition of a true tweener. He’s listed as 6’8” (but is probably a fair bit smaller than that), and 190. Despite his diminutive frame, he plays a lot bigger than his measurables, and was the primary post man for the Texans last season. He’s comfortable backing players down in the post, establishing leverage, fighting for tip-ins, and finding open shooters from the paint.
He’s an active defensive rebounder, but is more impressive in establishing position to go after offensive ones. He’s also a very good face-up rim defender for his size and is always looking to get a swat. He moves very well without the ball, and though he runs the floor well with a good anticipation for the breakout, he was not asked to do so much in TSU’s plodding half-court offense.
As a shooter, Bristow is comfortable with 15-foot midrange contested shot at the free throw line, and is a capable spot-up three-point shooter from the top of the circle or in the slots (I’ve never seen him even attempt a baseline three). Since he was tasked with carrying so much of the load last season, Keitenn can and does score at all three levels, and he loves to put the ball on the floor to find a shot.
There are some definite warts in his game, though. Because Bristow does put the ball on the floor so often, he’s really prone to turnovers (sometimes looking downright gimpy). I don’t think the staff is going to want him doing much more than a few dribbles with his back to the basket. He’s a solid enough defender near the rim too, but that comes at the price of getting into foul trouble. He’s not a huge player, and though he punches above his weight class, it gets him in trouble trying to defend far more physical opponents.
And there are legitimate questions too. Like Williamson, we simply don’t know how he will fare against elite competition on a regular basis: Kentucky ain’t Southern Utah. He didn’t suit up against most of the best teams TSU faced last year: Baylor, Michigan, Florida State, SMU among them. But there is some room for optimism at least on this count: When Bristow drew his first start against a Power Conference opponent, he had 17 and 7 against Oklahoma State. He was, of course, in foul trouble. But he only had one turnover in 30 minutes against far superior athletes.
Not shabby for a true freshman on the road against a Big 12 team.
Last season we lamented that the Tide didn’t have a Chaney Johnson-type player who could bridge the bigs and the shooters. Bristow could grow into that sort of player, as he will likely be a positionless hybrid post-forward. Is he a project? In all probability, yes. But he’ll see time off the bench as he grows into his game and adjusts to big boy basketball. He’s just a true sophomore this year, and there is certainly time to develop without being pressured into being the man.
Welcome to Tuscaloosa, Keitenn
Roll Tide
Poll
Does Bristow stay at the Power Forward spot?
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No. He’s just not big enough to play there in the SEC.
(0 votes)
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He’ll be moved to forward, but he won’t be asked to be a ballhandler.
(0 votes)
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Probably some combination of the forward spots. He’s a tweener
(0 votes)
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