Dominick Welch was a relatively unknown player coming out of high school in 2018, as he wasn’t ranked by any recruiting service in the industry. Welch is a 6’5 200 lb shooting guard that has a knack for scoring and is a consistent outside jumper. His jumper is silky smooth and has the same release every shot. He held offers from the likes of St. Bonaventure, Buffalo, Canisius, Cleveland St, and Dayton. One of those schools should stand out to Alabama fans, as at that time Coach Nate Oats and Bryan Hodgson were at Buffalo when they offered Welch.
In his senior year of high school, Welch made the decision to enroll at St. Bonaventure. The Bonnies had a solid program under Mark Schmidt and were on the rise in the Atlantic 10, so that was a solid choice for Welch to make. He made a huge impression on his coaches his freshman year and ended up starting 20 games, while averaging 30 minutes per game. While he only scored a little over 7 points per game, he was gaining confidence as the season went on.
Fast forward to his senior year and Welch is running some combo guard, while still being a huge catch-and-shoot threat. From his sophomore year to his senior year, Welch averaged 2.5 made threes per game on 38% shooting combined. He averaged 12.6 points and finished his career third in program history with 257 made 3’s. One thing that sticks out to you about Welch is his ability to move without the ball and set himself up for an open shot. The ball handler just needs to penetrate, and Welch will find the opening to give the passer an easier pass to make. He has a great feel for the game and is very efficient in what he does. He not only shoots the ball very well, but he can also handle it well too. The defender must respect his fake on his shot, or he will blow by them easily, or step back for a more open look.
Following his senior season, Welch decided he wanted to use his graduate year and transfer somewhere else. Remember who offered Welch coming out of high school? Coach Oats and the staff rekindled the relationship they had with Welch at Buffalo, and he chose to transfer to Alabama. Welch is a versatile wing that will help Alabama be the outside shooter they desperately needed last season. In a system that thrives on creating open threes, Welch should be a key contributor in that category throughout the season. He also brings key experience to a relatively young team with high expectations.
Alabama is ranked #20 in the preseason AP poll released yesterday and picked to finish 5th by the SEC media. Alabama is expected to have a great season and they need to become more consistent throughout the season on both ends of the court. It will take time for Welch to get adjusted to a new role, but his role as the primary shooter in this offense will certainly be one he can have a lot of success in.
