NBA Draft: Top 5 bigs from the 2020 class
By Quinn Allen
5. Zeke Nnaji, Arizona
Zeke Nnaji enjoyed an outstanding freshman campaign for Sean Miller’s Wildcats, averaging 16.1 points per night en route to Pac 12 Freshman of the Year. At 6 foot 11 and 240 lbs, Nnaji possesses serious length (7-foot-1 wingspan) that could translate over very well to the next level.
Although he mostly played power forward in college, there’s a good chance that the 19-year-old could play center in the NBA. He’s a solid athlete with good feet and has the ability to move up and down the court quite well.
Nnaji is an efficient finisher around the rim, shooting over 55 percent from the field and 2-point range. For a big, he also shot a respectable 76 percent from the charity stripe. Nnaji does lack serious presence around the hoop and will need to add some strength in order to really be a force down low in the association against bigger and stronger opponents. Nnaji attempted just 0.5 3’s this season, but his smooth stroke could develop into him being a decent shooter from long range in the future.
His versatility to play different positions will definitely be an enticing trait at the next level. Nnaji turned himself into a big-time prospect thanks to his impressive freshman year and could be selected in the early to mid-’20s of the first round.