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OVERVIEW

Azubuike is a force in the post and among the big men warranting close looks in the draft. He posted 13.7 points and 10.5 rebounds as a senior for Kansas.

The most impressive mark is his 74.8-percent shooting from the field, often overwhelming defenders close to the basket.

Some observers might have been waiting for Azubuike, a 7-footer from Nigeria, to elevate his production in a bigger way. He averaged 13.0 points as a sophomore and 13.4 points (in only nine games because of a wrist injury) as a junior, so there were modest increases in his career in that category.

The rebounding numbers took a big jump from 7.0 and 6.8 in the previous two seasons. He was selected as the Big 12 Player of the Year as a senior.

ANALYSIS

When his endurance is up to snuff, Azubuike is a productive player. But the conditioning is bound to be a topic that comes up when he’s evaluated. The questions will include if he can keep up with the frantic NBA pace.

There were enough games, even as a senior, when his production waned so consistency is an area that needs to be addressed.



There are other notable glitches that are concerning. Among those is 44.1-percent shooting from the free-throw line as a senior, 41.6 percent for his career.

Plus, he needs to show that he can be creative enough to find his own shots. Yet he had Big 12 games across the last month of the season when he went 10-for-14, 11-for-13 and 13-for-14 from the field, and those performances are difficult to ignore.

PROJECTION

Second round

MORE 2020 NBA DRAFT PROFILES

• Precious Achiuwa, PF, Memphis
• Cole Anthony, G, North Carolina
• Deni Avdija, G, Israeil
• Desmond Bane, G, TCU
• Yoeli Childs, F, BYU
• Mamade Diakite, F, Virginia
• Moustapha Heron, G, St. John’s

–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)