2. Chinanu Onuaku – C, Louisville
Key Stats: 3.3 blocks, 1.3 steals per 40 minutes, 14% off. reb., 26% def. reb., +7.1 Individual DRtg to Team DRtg
Chinanu Onuaku is a really good bet to be a really good NBA defender at the 5 position. He is a super-young sophomore who shows up well statistically among some of the best defensive prospects of the last half-decade:
| Advanced | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rk | Player | Class | Season | MP | TS% | ORB% | DRB% | TRB% | AST% | STL% | BLK% | USG% | OBPM | DBPM | BPM |
| 1 | Nerlens Noel | FR | 2012-13 | 765 | .583 | 10.4 | 22.3 | 16.8 | 9.5 | 3.9 | 13.2 | 17.4 | 2.9 | 11.7 | 14.6 |
| 2 | Willie Cauley-Stein | SO | 2013-14 | 880 | .580 | 12.6 | 16.3 | 14.5 | 5.7 | 3.0 | 12.3 | 14.1 | 4.1 | 10.8 | 14.9 |
| 3 | Anthony Davis | FR | 2011-12 | 1281 | .654 | 11.6 | 23.8 | 18.2 | 7.5 | 2.5 | 13.7 | 18.8 | 7.8 | 10.8 | 18.7 |
| 4 | Karl-Anthony Towns | FR | 2014-15 | 822 | .627 | 14.2 | 22.3 | 18.5 | 11.6 | 1.4 | 11.5 | 23.7 | 6.5 | 10.8 | 17.3 |
| 5 | Gorgui Dieng | SO | 2011-12 | 1312 | .556 | 11.7 | 18.5 | 15.2 | 6.6 | 2.1 | 10.4 | 15.5 | 0.8 | 10.3 | 11.1 |
| 6 | Joel Embiid | FR | 2013-14 | 647 | .655 | 12.7 | 27.3 | 20.5 | 11.5 | 2.3 | 11.7 | 23.4 | 4.7 | 10.2 | 14.9 |
| 7 | Chinanu Onuaku | SO | 2015-16 | 762 | .620 | 13.7 | 25.8 | 19.8 | 12.9 | 1.9 | 9.6 | 20.5 | 3.6 | 10.2 | 13.9 |
Provided by Sports-Reference.com/CBB.
Above are all the freshmen and sophomores who have hit the 10 Defensive Box Plus-Minus mark since the inception of DBPM in 2010.
It’s also worth noting that Onuaku is six months younger than freshman Embiid, more than a year younger than sophomore Cauley-Stein and nearly three years younger than sophomore Dieng.
Onuaku was also just measured with very solid size at the 2016 NBA Draft Combine, at 6’10” in shoes with a 7’2.75″ wingspan. In addition to his physique, he possesses very good mobility, which bodes well for his future ability to defend NBA pick-and-rolls.
In total, Onuaku needs to be taken far more seriously relative to his draft peers; he is the safest defensive prospect (at the most important defensive position) in the draft, and, furthermore, he is a very good offensive prospect who creates possessions out of thin air with his offensive-rebounding ability and adds massive value with his passing ability at his position.
If he is drafted anywhere around where he is being projected (the No. 20 to 45 range), some team is going to come away with one hell of an obvious steal in a little over a month.
Next: 3. Ivica Zubac