University of Kansas senior-to-be Ochai Agbaji has been in Chicago for the past few days, running through initial evaluations at the NBA combine.
Agbaji, like teammate Jalen Wilson and Arizona State transfer Remy Martin, has until July 7 to make a decision to stay in the draft or return to Kansas. And what happens the rest of this week could play a big role in helping him make that decision.
The first few days of the combine typically include player interviews with team officials, medical tests with team doctors, drill work and skills tests, with the live scrimmages taking place Thursday and Friday.
While all of those elements come together to create each player’s portfolio, one of the most subtle yet important parts of the process is the physical measurements of each player.
They might not be quite as important as skills set, IQ and character, but things like standing height, wingspan and hand size can play a role in where — or whether — players get drafted.
[NBA.com released the details of nearly every player][1] invited to the combine. Here’s a quick look at Agbaji’s.
**Height with shoes:** 6 feet, 5.5 inches
**Height without shoes:** 6 feet, 4.5 inches
**Wingspan:** 6 feet, 10 inches
**Weight:** 214.4 pounds
**Body fat:** 4.15%
**Hand length:** 9 inches
**Hand width:** 8.75 inches
**Standing reach:** 8 feet, 7.5 inches
A couple of quick notes about Agbaji’s measurements, all of which were in line with what was expected and put Agbaji in a favorable light as an NBA prospect:
• His wingspan was the fifth longest among all shooting guards at the combine.
• His standing reach — which is exactly what it sounds like: how high his hand touches while standing flat-footed — was the third best among all guards at the combine.
• His body fat percentage was the third lowest of all players at the combine.
• His weight, mostly muscle of course, is up 4-5 pounds from what he was listed at for most of the 2020-21 season.
• His hand length was tied for the longest among all guards at the combine
All of this information and data, combined with the three years of film at KU and the fact that he’s a high-character guy continue to paint Agbaji as a draftable player.
The biggest question that remains is what types of draft assurances will he need to get to keep his name in the draft pool?
For some guys, it’s a guarantee of being a first-round pick. Agbaji will not get that.
For others it’s just being drafted period that will get them to stay in.
Two years ago, when Devon Dotson was trying to decide whether to stay or go after his freshman season, he wanted to hear that he was a lock for the top 40 and never got it so he returned to KU and delivered an All-American sophomore season. So maybe Agbaji and his camp are thinking along those same lines.
Either way, the days of guys only staying in the draft if they’re lock first-rounders — where the guaranteed money lies — appear to be gone.
The recent rise in popularity of the league’s two-way contracts and the significant increase in G League salaries of late has played a big role in the new way of thinking.
With the NBA’s draft lottery being drawn on Tuesday night, the exact order of the 60 picks in this year’s draft is now known.
As a result, ESPN.com draft guru Jonathan Givony posted an updated mock draft for all 60 picks and Agbaji cracked the very back end of it at No. 59 to the Brooklyn Nets.
Givony’s as good as it gets in this industry, so Agbaji’s placement, in his eyes, as a fringe draft pick further complicates his decision.
The rest of the week will be big for Agbaji, who can solidify his status with a strong showing in the live scrimmages on Thursday and Friday or become just another guy if he fails to stand out.
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Earlier this week, at the G League Elite Camp, also in Chicago, KU’s Jalen Wilson and former Jayhawk standout Marcus Garrett also were measured by NBA personnel.
Wilson, who is slated to be a redshirt sophomore during the 2021-22 season, measured 6-7 with shoes and 6 feet, 5.75 inches without shoes. He weighed 225.2 pounds and measured at 7.3% in the body fat test. Wilson’s standing reach was 8 feet, 6.5 inches and his wingspan measured 6-8.
Garrett, a combo guard who can play a variety of styles and positions, measured 6 feet, 5.75 inches with shoes and 6 feet, 4.5 inches without shoes. He weighed 188.2 pounds with 5.3% body fat and had a standing reach of 8-6 and wingspan of 6 feet, 9.75 inches.
[1]: https://www.nba.com/stats/draft/combine-anthro/?sort=POSITION&dir=1
