April 4 was a pretty rough day for me. As a big fan of the North Carolina Tar Heels, I was elated they beat Duke in the Final Four, and at that moment they were leading Kansas by 15 points in the National Championship Game. Then the second half happened, and the Jayhawks came back from the largest deficit ever to win the National Championship. It was a rough night.
But, in that second half, and in the tournament overall, we all got to see all the talent and great shooting of Kansas wing Ochai Agbaji. Agbaji didn’t do it alone, as Remy Martin and Christian Braun also had big second half performances, but it was Agbaji throughout the whole season who had NBA scouts excited about him at the next level.
Yesterday, we dove into Jaden Hardy’s G-League season, and now for our Cleveland Cavaliers Draft Notebook, it’s time to take a look at Agbaji, who most scouts seemingly think will go higher than Hardy. Throughout the season, Agbaji averaged 18.8 points per game, while also grabbing over five rebounds a night, and dishing out nearly two assists. He was the 23rd-rated player in college basketball when it came to three-point percentage, knocking long balls down at over a 40% clip. His 47.5% field goal percentage shows that he has some good shot selection, but also can improve upon his mid-range game.
Personally, I think Hardy and Agbaji are very different players. Hardy has great ball-control and is constantly looking for his shot. Agbaji is more of a player who runs off screens, and might prefer to spot up, rather than create his own shot. However, Agbaji is very capable of creating his own shot, he just didn’t have the need to often in Kansas’ offense. There’s no doubt about it though, Agbaji can definitely help the Cavaliers now, and in the future.
So let’s take a look at Agbaji’s scouting report.
Ochai Agbaji Scouting Report
Height/Weight: 6’5″, 215 LBS
2021-2022 Kansas Stats: 18.8 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 1.6 APG
3-Point/Field Goal/Free Throw: 40.9%/47.5%/74.3%
Ochai Agbaji is proof that going back to school can benefit you in the draft. After his first three years at Kansas, he would have been lucky to have been a second-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. However, his evolution this season is somewhat similar to that of Jaden Ivey. Both took feedback from NBA evaluators last year, and improved in those areas.
For Agbaji, that was improving his outside shooting, and his perimeter defense. Standing at 6’5,” with a 6’10” wingspan, he projects to be one of the best 3-and-D prospects in the 2022 NBA Draft.
When you first start watching the wing out of Kansas, you immediately notice his quick-release, and smooth shooting stroke. Throughout his career at Kansas his three-point shooting got better every year. During his final year at Kansas he was taking and making more three-pointers than most NBA prospects.
His quick release prevents potential shot-blockers, and forces defenses to close out hard. But, he rarely hesitates when he shoots, so if he feels like it should go up, it’s going up.
On the defensive end, he has a lot of athleticism and leaping ability, but he’s not as explosive as guys like Hardy, Ivey, and others at the top of most draft boards. Even still, his large wingspan is a huge asset that he uses.
He was able to force turnovers by getting in passing lanes, and putting pressure on opposing guards. He’s not the best defensive prospect in the draft, but there are prospects that are much worse off than him.
Wait, what about shot creation?
Agbaji doesn’t have a ton of weaknesses, as he proved throughout the season, but one area that he struggles is in the shot creation department. His ball-handling is average at best, and he doesn’t seem to have the offensive arsenal as many of his peers. Don’t get me wrong, Agbaji has a great basketball IQ, but he’s never going to “wow” you with his ball-handling or passing.
His 1.6 assists are very telling of his lack of playmaking ability. During his final year at Kansas he only recorded three or more assists in three different games for the Jayhawks this year. However, he’s a guy who, like Hardy, could come to the Cavs and contribute right away.
While I feel like Collin Sexton and Jaden Hardy are comparable players, Agbaji could have a role that doesn’t necesarily take away any of Sexton’s strengths. As I said before, Agbaji is at his best coming off screens, and moving without the ball.
Sexton and Hardy are two players that love to have the ball in their hands, and that may not mesh well with how Darius Garland played this season. In my opinion, I would still love for Sexton to come off the bench, but with Agbaji’s catch-and-shoot ability, I think he would be a great addition to the starting rotation.
Overall, Agbaji is a player who could really help the Cavaliers next season, as, like Hardy, I also think Agbaji could come in tomorrow and help a team with his scoring. On top of that, Agbaji has proven that he can take a huge step in one year. I like Hardy better right now, but there are definitely a lot of reasons to love the Kansas wing.
It should be a lot of fun the next couple of weeks, checking out the best prospects and how they fit or don’t fit with the Cavs’ plans.