He credited these same attributes as reasons he can switch to guard pick and roll and move quickly enough to defend guards or bigs. Projected top-five pick James Wiseman on Wednesday agreed to join HyperX, a gaming gear company, as a brand ambassador and will participate in a variety of storylines and activities as part of the sponsorship. There are concerns defensively, but he does display the athleticism and hustle required to become a reliable defender; he also has a high work ethic. Nnaji frequently referred to the changes in the current era of the Association with regards to a player at his position. Shows potential as a mid-range shooter. He did much of his jump shooting inside the arc this season, but tossed in several threes. If you make a request through the WarnerMedia Privacy Center, In addition, several individuals conducted zoom media interviews. Zeke Nnaji is ranked 39th in the 2020 NBA Draft Prospect Rankings by cbssports. Is LaMelo Ball worth the risk of a top 3 pick. Powered by Minute Media © 2020 All Rights Reserved. The nineteen years old basketball player, Zeke Nanji is preparing for up-coming NBA Draft. NBA Draft prospect Zeke Nnaji has interviewed with 76ers, other teams. OKC Thunder 2020 Draft: Zeke Nnaji #22 and Josh Green #0 of the Arizona Wildcats. Faring better on the defensive end for some stretches than others, Nnaji nonetheless had some nice moments using his mobility to slide out to the perimeter after switches and his size in close. To wit, the Hopkins, Minnesota native cites his offensive versatility with pick and pop or pick and roll adeptness but also noted because of his speed, mobility, and length it affords him mismatches he can take advantage of. Showing the ability to use his size and aggressiveness to create some in the post and knocking down midrange jump shots with some consistency, Nnaji displayed some budding coordination to score outside of the restricted area as well. After today, he'll have knocked out virtual interviews this week with the #Bulls, #Sixers, and #Nuggets. He will help create original content, which will include a custom animation and comic book. Arizona freshman Zeke Nnaji is entering the 2020 NBA draft, he told ESPN on Tuesday. Averaging 16.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, he earned All-Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honors while gaining considerable momentum ahead of the 2020 NBA Draft. Standing 6’11.5 with an average wingspan and a rapidly improving frame, Nnaji is a fluid athlete for a big man who makes the most of his dimensions by playing with consistent energy. The big man says teams will be pleasantly surprised by how well he is shooting the ball. He enrolled at Lakeville North High School and then transferred to Hopkins High School, where his younger sister, Maya, is a highly regarded high school basketball recruit. In addition to the 76ers and Nuggets, Nnaji has also met with the Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets. We'll never pass along your email address to spammers, scammers, or the like. His interview can be watched in full on NBA.com. Good shooting potential: He hit 44 percent of his jump shots outside of 17 feet and 76 percent of his free throws as a freshman. According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, speaking on the "Wine and Gold Talk" podcast, the belief among multiple executives is that Okoro has a promise but it is not known which team it came from. He is a better offensive rebounder than a defensive one and lacks a degree of length to be especially impactful as a rim protector but had some very positive moments as a freshman. The 2019 39th NBA draftee, Alen Smailagic, inked a four year / $6,129,593 contract with the Golden State Warriors, including $2,416,291 guaranteed, and an annual average salary of $1,532,398. Has touch on jump hooks. Playerswiki Zeke Nnaji Draft Notes A mobile big who runs the floor well, has good hands and a nice scoring touch. WarnerMedia Privacy Center | Versatile athlete. Shoots 3s fairly comfortably in practice. Minneapolis, Minnesota native, Nnaji was born on 9th January 2001, under the star sign Capricorn. Quick and athletic with good body control and ability to play above the rim. To help teams prepare for the Draft, the NBA is reportedly considering hosting a Combine-like event for prospects in Orlando in late August. Averaging 16.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, he earned All-Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honors while gaining considerable momentum ahead of the 2020 NBA Draft. Can step out and hedge ball screens. Getting to the line on almost a third of his post possessions, he scored, A very reliable free throw shooter, Nnaji flashes some touch away from the rim. Reporters asked specifically about the Suns, Hornets, Knicks, and Raptors all of which he has spoken to. He didn’t attempt many 3-pointers per game nor was he overly efficient from the perimeter. With the 2020 NBA Draft approaching a month from now, former Arizona freshman big man Zeke Nnaji sat down with BasketballNews.com to discuss a number of topics, ranging from his personal interests to his game to why he'll make a solid pro. The speculation began once he backed out of participating in the NBA draft combine. Has some blow by speed and can face up and take his man off the dribble. Sam Presti and his OKC Thunder front office team are preparing for the NBA draft where they will select 25th in the first round conveying the Nuggets pick they received in the trade for Jerami Grant. However, in the last year or so, he realized that he genuinely enjoyed playing basketball more than the other sports. https://therookiewire.usatoday.com/2020/06/07/nba-draft-combine-zeke-nnaji-interviewed-rumors-workouts/, 16.1 points and 8.6 rebounds in 32 games played with the Wildcats last season and is, For Oregon State's Kylor Kelley, the past helps prepare for the future, INTERVIEW: Vanderbilt's Jerry Stackhouse on NBA prospect Aaron Nesmith, Tyrese Haliburton expected to be a high selection in the NBA draft, Minnesota expected to hold second pre-draft meeting with LaMelo Ball, Heat conducted private workout with Vernon Carey Jr. ahead of draft, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Links: … **DISCLAIMER: The following is an aggregate of player analysis from various media outlets and does not reflect the views of the Minnesota Timberwolves.**. Scoring, Using a quarter of his possessions in the post, Nnaji was pretty effective in back to the basket situations. The nineteen-year-old holds an American nationality who came from Afro-American ethnicity. A late bloomer who was widely regarded as a top-35 prospect in the high school class of 2019 following his senior year at Hopkins High School (MN), Nnaji was the third highest ranked recruit in Head Coach Sean Miller’s incoming class, but exceeded expectations from the start in Tucson. 22 – Arizona Wildcats' power forward, Zeke is one of the most prolific and productive freshmen in the nation after coming into Arizona as their third highest-rated recruit after Nico Mannion and Josh Green. Opponent Shots By Closest Defender (+10 FT). ESPN/Draft Express (click to read full analysis): The Ringer (click to read full analysis): NBADraft.net (click to read full analysis): Nnaji is a wiry strong, mobile big man who is skilled enough to stretch the floor and threaten with perimeter shooting with a little development … Plays with great passion and intensity, bringing very solid consistency for a player his age (turned 19 in January) … Has great footwork in the post and in the pick and roll/pop game … Excellent rebounder due to his energy, positioning, and length … Averaged over 3 offensive rebounds per game … Solid 7’1 wingspan on a 6’10 frame … Mixes up his variety of post moves well and moves his feet well to pivot to an ideal spot for a hook shot … Smooth shooting stroke that will allow for quick development at the next level … Quick first step off the dribble allows him to drive by taller, less athletic big men … Efficient interior scorer at 58% on the season … Prevents foul trouble with great technique and footwork in the post … Plays under control with good hands and athleticism in the post … Very solid free throw percentage for a big man (76%) … Solid upside. Is well on his way to having a respectable mid range jumper and should be able to space the floor and hit the 3 ball at some point early in his career. After consulting with my family and praying about it, we have submitted the required paperwork to the league office. It explains his laser focus on shooting since the NCAA season was stopped due to the pandemic. Playerswiki - Celebrity Biography, news and gossip, Lakeville North (Lakeville, Minnesota) Hopkins (Minnetonka, Minnesota). To opt out of the sale of your personal information as permitted by the California Consumer Ezekiel Tobechukwu Nnaji, simply known as Zeke Nnaji, is an American college basketball player for the Arizona Wildcats of the Pac-12 Conference. As part of the preparation, draft prospects are meeting with teams either virtually or in-person. Noted for his impressive approach to the game. He has sound mechanics that give him some potential as a floor spacer. Former Hopkins HS and Arizona star Zeke Nnaji is in Vegas now to work with well-known NBA trainer Joe Abunassar. Though he is not especially comfortable making decisions or putting the ball on the floor away from the rim, the, Ranked 11th in the NCAA and 2nd in the Pac-12 in cut scoring (4.3 ppg), Ranked 13th in the NCAA and 2nd the Pac-12 in put back scoring (3.2 ppg), Ranked 3rd in the Pac-12 in post up scoring (3.7 ppg), Ranked 5th in the Pac-12 in roll man scoring (1.5 ppg).