Shayne Whittington Eager to Learn from David West

Mar 15, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Western Michigan Broncos center Shayne Whittington (21) celebrates with guard David Brown (5) after defeating the Toledo Rockets 98-77 in the championship game for the MAC college basketball tournament at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Indiana Pacers signed undrafted rookie big man Shayne Whittington this offseason, and they are very excited about his potential for the future. He is a 6’11” power forward, who can also play center when needed. Whittington has a very unique game and can either score down low with his back to the rim, or step outside and knock down the mid-range and perimeter shot.

It’s possible that Whittington doesn’t even end up making the regular season roster, but he is excited to learn from veteran power forward David West in the meantime.

"“Right now it’s a learning curve for me,” he said. “I see this as a redshirt kind of time. I’m going to try to get as much experience as I can while I’m here. I’m going to try to get in David West’s head when he comes in and learn everything I can.”"

That is certainly a great mindset to have for the young rookie, and it shows that he really wants to learn and improve his game. Indiana signed him because of his unique skills, but learning and being mentored by West would take his game to a completely new level. He may never be a starting power forward or center in the NBA, but he could develop into a fairly solid backup big man.

Whittington averaged 16.1 points and 8.9 rebounds last season in his senior year with Western Michigan, and took major steps forward offensively. The Pacers were intrigued by his ability to knock down the three-ball, which is an area that they struggled in last season. At this point in time, Whittington is going to have to compete with Roy Hibbert, Ian Mahinmi, and LaVoy Allen for minutes and a roster spot.

Don’t be surprised if Whittington actually ends up making the regular season roster. The Pacers are very high on him and believe that he can develop into a strong player. He needs to improve a few areas of his game, but learning from West and the hunger to improve that he is shown is a very good sign.