Its a smart move on his part but it wont matter. Kid is nowhere close to playing in the league. He cant dribble, awareness on the court is subpar, and rarely can create his own shot. He will get his pinkie toe wet and quickly be informed he doesn't stand a chance of being drafted.
Ochai...his shitty defense and stand around offense will be back next year.

I don't think Baji is ready for the NBA either, but your assessment of his skills is way off the mark.

He can dribble, and he can definitely create his own shot, but that's not how any of Self's offenses work. Ochai is a tremendous athlete, and can get to the rack if he needs to, but Self played him as a perimeter wing player, and he never really played the two his entire KU career, so he has spent 3 years mostly camping out in the corners on offense.

The only part of your assessment that is accurate is his court awareness. He loses focus, especially in transition defense, and often gives up layups or lobs because he got caught watching the ball.

He is capable of being a very good half court defender, but he also loses focus at times, especially when his shot is not falling. And he battles with confidence issues as well.

But, when he is making shots, and running in transition, you can clearly see his NBA potential. But, if he doesn't come back, he will probably be wearing an NBA G league uniform at best, and playing overseas at worst.

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Ochai can't dribble whatsoever. It's literally a few shades from Lagerald Vick in that regard. Part of the reason that the team struggled significantly offensively was that they had nobody who was an actual ball handler when Harris wasn't in the game.

He has a chance to be a 3+D player in the NBA akin to Danny Green, but he'd have to get miles better at shooting and at defense to pull that off. I can't imagine he'll be drafted in the 1st round as a junior with his limited development over the past years and (still) raw skillset. Would be an odd move if he left as he'd definitely be Europe bound.

He'd make a pile of money in Europe.

Spot on. :thumb:

I can't disagree more. This nonsense about Self's offense holding people back has been around for a long time and it holds no basis in reality. Do you really think during all of our scoring droughts this year that Self thought "huh, I have agbaji who can apparently can get to the rim any time he wants and can create his shot any time he wants, but I don't want him to because reasons"? When agbaji made three straight 3s against Oklahoma, do you think it was self who told him to vanish the rest of the game? To not shoot? Was self mad he was having such d good game and we were winning?

"Self's offense just stuck him on the wing and he can't do anything". Really? So Brandon rush, who played the exact same position, never got to create? Self wasn't at all vocal for him to shoot and create more? Oh wait he was. Ditto Wiggins. And Selden. And anyone else who actually has the ability to do so.

I think it's interesting that of all the guys that people have criticized self for either not playing more or not utilizing properly, self has been right almost every time. They are what they are. "Diallo should play 40 minutes a game and we should run the offense through him!". A nobody in the NBA(if he's even on a roster now). "Wiggins could do so much more if self would just let him. That's why wings don't come to Kansas". Wiggins has never become that dominant force everyone thought he would be. Sometimes guys are what their talent level plays like.

Yes, but his parents have money. He's not from the streets. He's not poor. Needs to get his mom a house etc.

If his goal is to play in the NBA, coming back to Kansas will develop him further than playing G league in Europe.

Bill is completely overhauling this roster. I almost wonder if he isn’t pushing Agbaji out to make room for higher upside players.

Go give the NBA draft a shot. If you go undrafted, the G League and Europe will pay you.

Gotta think Self is going to manage the transfer portal as well as any coach out there.

Unless he has a monster senior year (in line with Graham or Mason) his stock is what it is at this point.

Hell, he might’ve been smart to leave after his freshman year. There was a lot of talk about him being our best NBA prospect. He wasn’t “ready”, but maybe a team gambles on the potential.

There’s zero evidence the NBA values a senior season in college.

Well...I think this varies from player to player.

I don't think him and Braun are much different players. I hear people say Braun can't shoot threes "on the move". But Ochai can? Ochai has a QUICKER shot but I've seen Braun make more step backs and better footwork on the perimeter than Ochai. Braun is just ATROCIOUS on 2 pointers and has no idea how to use his body & take contact when scoring. Ochai isn't good at it either. Really very similar players, with Ochai having better defense is the main thing.

Jalen Wilson declares.

Hope he comes back.

He must really be thinking of leaving next year as a goal. Doubt he gets the feedback he wants to be drafted. Would imagine one more year for him would do wonders.

I don't know about Ochai though. I don't think he's going to get much more valuable. If some team wants to draft him at all, I'd take that opportunity.

There's absolutely no reason to not declare and go through the process. Makes them better as a player.