New York Knicks: 14 NBA Draft Targets in the 2017 NCAA Tournament

Chip Murphy • 03/16/2017

Feb 25, 2017; Hartford, CT, USA; Southern Methodist Mustangs forward Semi Ojeleye (33) returns the ball against Connecticut Huskies guard Rodney Purvis (15) in the second half at XL Center. SMU defeated UConn 69-61. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

13. Semi Ojeleye, SMU Mustangs

Position: Small Forward/Power Forward
Age: 22 (12/05/1994)
Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’7.0″, 235 pounds, 6’9.5″
2016-17 Slash Line: .493/.428/.779
2016-17 Averages: 34.0 MPG, 18.8 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.4 BPG, 0.4 SPG

Semi Ojeleye began his career as one of Duke’s many high profile recruits. After failing under the legendary head coach Mike Krzyzewski for two seasons, Ojeleye transferred to SMU for a fresh start.

After accumulating only 143 minutes in 23 games during his two seasons at Duke, Ojeleye appeared in all 34 of SMU’s games and logged 1,156 minutes in 2016-17. More time on the court led to his improvement from beyond the arc.

https://youtu.be/B_oJ2crAh_M

The 22-year-old has flourished in a primary role with the Mustangs as the top gun on offense. He leads the team in scoring with 18.8 points per game due in part to his making 2.1 three-point shots per game.

SMU uses Ojeleye as a power forward. Despite the fact that he’s undersized to play the small ball four, even by today’s standards, it’s the right spot for him.

Hoop-math says that 40.4 percent of Ojeleye’s FGA were from three-point range and 26.5 percent of his FGA were two-point jumpers. The forward was efficient on those attempts. It’s no surprise he swayed away from the restricted area.

His lack of size makes him a tweener destined to man the perimeter on offense who will need to find the right fit through the draft. The Knicks would be great for him.

[sc name=”Knicks Link Slideshow” link=”https://elitesportsny.com/2017/03/16/new-york-knicks-10-2017-nba-draft-targets-ncaa-tournament/4″ text=”Luke from Duke” ]