2. Udoka Azubuike – Kansas University
Udoka Azubuike is one of my favorite sleepers in the 2020 NBA Draft. Over his four years at Kansas, he improved dramatically, evolving from a solid college player to one of the best players in the nation and a likely second-round draft pick.
Dok’s jump shot is one of the ugliest I’ve seen in a while, but around the rim, he reminds me of a poor man’s Shaq. He’s dominant around the rim, finishing lobs with thunderous dunks and rising up over helpless defenders in the post.
The biggest reason for Dok’s improvement? He got himself in shape. He used to be extremely slow-footed and a defensive liability. If you threw the Dok from a year ago into the NBA, he’d get pick-and-rolled to death. He’d be unplayable. But now, he’s fleeter of foot and is actually a solid defender. Thanks to his new nimble body, Dok blocked 5.5 blocks per 100 possessions during his senior season for the Jayhawks.
Azubuike will probably never be a starting-caliber center in the NBA, but I like his chances of being able to provide some lucky team with 15-20 minutes of dominance around the hoop. If that lucky team was the Bulls, I wouldn’t be mad at all.
Oh, he also doesn’t turn 21 until September 17. That’s right, he played four years at Kansas and is only 20 years old.