3. Onyeka Okungwu, USC
Onyeka Okungwu could be one of the most talented bigs in this entire draft class after a massive freshman year with the Trojans. At 6-foot-9 he’s slightly undersized for a big, but his athleticism and leap ability make up for it. At 245 lbs, he’s a high-level athlete who is extremely talented on both sides of the ball.
His numbers back it all up, averaging 16.2 points, 8.6 boards, and 2.7 blocks per game on 62 percent shooting from the field. Okungwu is very unpredictable to guard, with numerous moves in his repertoire in the paint. Whether it’s a spin and finish or simply bodying up an opponent and finishing over them, the USC standout is a force to be reckoned with offensively.
Okungwu is a top-notch rim protector and arguably one of the best rebounders in this draft class. He’s also very good defensively and even though he isn’t as big as some other centers, Okungwu is naturally gifted when it comes to containing opponents on the defensive end. A trait that he carries which is rare for a player of his size is the ability to steal the ball. He collected 1.2 steals per contest this season, showing an uncanny knack to strip oppositions. Okungwu is an effective free-throw shooter as well, draining 72 percent of his attempts from the charity stripe.
Okungwu wasn’t highly regarded coming out of high school, but his potential is limitless. He could have the highest ceiling of any player in this draft and because of this, Okungwu could be selected within the first ten picks.