Arizona forward Zeke Nnaji reportedly declares for 2020 NBA Draft
Mar 28, 2020, 3:21 PM | Updated: 3:22 pm
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri, File)
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri, File)
Zeke Nnaji’s first year of college basketball at Arizona ended with him being named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year.
It will be his only year. Nnaji has declared for the NBA Draft, according to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein.
Nnaji averaged 16.1 points, 8.6 rebounds and almost a block per game and shot 57% from the floor. He helped Arizona go 21-11 (10-8 Pac-12).
In being named the conference’s freshman of the year, Nnaji beat out other players who are often projected to be drafted higher than him including teammate Nico Mannion and USC center Onyeka Okongwu.
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Nnaji has been frequently projected as a borderline first-round pick.
Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo listed him as the No. 25 player on his big board. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie predicted Nnaji would be selected No. 29 overall by the Los Angeles Lakers.
ESPN lists him as the No. 34 player on the board.
Both Woo and Vecenie wrote that he needs to add strength to play against NBA bigs, though both touted his touch in the paint and out.
Nnaji is reportedly the first Wildcat to have declared for the draft.
