University of Arizona big man Zeke Nnaji has decided to leave college after only one season and declare himself for the upcoming NBA Draft, which is scheduled to be held this summer.
Nnaji, who joined the Wildcats as a fairly unheralded recruit out of Lakeville, Minnesota last fall, put in one of the strongest freshman seasons of any player in the country before the basketball season was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A power forward who measures seven feet tall, Nnaji averaged 16.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game on 57% shooting for the Pac-12’s Wildcats this season.
Despite initial concerns that Nnaji, a latecomer to the sport, would struggle to adapt to high-level competition in the college game, he put those doubts to rest by displaying skill and a surprisingly refined game.
Nnaji, the son of Nigerian immigrants to the United States, made his decision official with a tweet posted to his official account on Thursday afternoon.
The talented big man is expected to be selected at the back end of the first round or in the front end of the second round in the upcoming draft. ESPN currently ranks him as the #34 player on the board for the upcoming draft.
