Wildly Unnecessarily Lengthy 2014 NBA Draft Board, Part 3: NCAA Small Forwards
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Chris Udofia, Denver, Senior, 6'6 205lbs
2013/14 stats: 34.4 mpg, 12.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.9 apg, 1.5 spg, 2.3 bpg, 1.8 TOpg, 3.4 fpg, 49.6% FG, 23.6% 3PT, 59.1% FT
2013/14 stats: 34.4 mpg, 12.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.9 apg, 1.5 spg, 2.3 bpg, 1.8 TOpg, 3.4 fpg, 49.6% FG, 23.6% 3PT, 59.1% FT
Udofia puts up highly entertaining stat lines, especially from a player standing only 6'6. He averaged 2.2 blocks and 1.5 steals per game on the defensive end, 12.0 points and 3.9 assists per game on the offensive end, and 5.3 rebounds per game in between. This somehow put him in the top 100 in the nation in both blocks and assists per game. And that fact is magnetic.
Denver struggled badly to score, which worked for and against Udofia. Their lack of shot creation and scoring let him play a point forward role, and he led the team in assists, but he also has a poor jumpshot of his own and couldn't answer their need for a primary scorer. He is a sharer of the ball without the handle to create the assists are more from him being easily the best talent on the team rather than because he is a primary playmaking option. Nonetheless, Udofia plays both posts and is a good passer from either, playing both halves of the pick and roll at times.
Physically, Udofia is a very good athlete, an NBA calibre one in an NBA's body. A dunker who will run when he can, Udofia figures to have no problem defending the small forward position, despite playing a lot of power forward to date. He moves well laterally and has the length and anticipation to be a disruptive presence in help defense situations, while also being a committed man to man defender. If he could shoot, this would be a quality three-and-D candidate. But the shot is a problem. He's going to have to defend perfectly to overcome the lack of it.