MMBOW #4: Michael Bramos, Miami (Oh.)

Michael Bramos of Miami (Oh.) was Michigan's Mr. Basketball runner-up coming out of high school, and he's spent most of his college career as a solid, dependable yet overlooked third option -- he's that guy out on the floor who plays 35 minutes but usually puts up more intangibles and Charlie Points than eye-popping stats. He's working on the stats part, and we're doing all we can to help change that overlooked part: he's our fourth Mid-Majority Baller of the Week.

In the space of seven days, Bramos shattered his career high in points twice. In a 67-60 win over Mississippi State on Nov. 25 that came in too late for Week 3 MMBOW voting, Bramos shot 9-for-18 and made 9 of 11 freebies to accumulate 30 points. But his performance against Dayton on Wednesday that ranked among the most efficient and explosive by anyone, anywhere at any level last week. He scored 36 points on 11-for-17 shooting, made nine 3-pointers, and chipped in five rebounds too. That, according to the NBA Efficiency model, is a one-game score of 39, which is real good. We're going to overlook his 2-for-9 performance in the Redhawks' 47-44 loss to Louisville, but as you can see just from the boxscore, there wasn't a lot of good shooting in that one (except if you were Tim Pollitz). Besides, it wouldn't be fair to have Bramos slip under the radar again, just because of that game.

It's a lot of hyperbole, sure, but Michael Bramos might be the most under-appreciated and underrated player in the Mid-American Conference, much less on his team. Pollitz was the star of the MAC tournament last year as well as of the NCAA first-round close call to Oregon... but there was Bramos, scoring in double figures and shooting well, making the All-MAC Tournament Team, doing all the little things. If he does more of the big things -- like he did last week -- the Redhawks are going to very difficult to beat in the tough MAC East division. Michael Bramos, we salute you, you are the Mid-Majority Baller of the Week.