Arizona Basketball: Zeke Nnaji, one of the most efficient freshman in college basketball
By David Rosen
Arizona Basketball has a lot of talent this season, but one player stands out, Zeke Nnaji, because of how efficient he has been so far.
The 2019-20 Arizona Basketball season has already had its ups and downs, things to be proud of and things that need to be improved upon, but everyone can agree Zeke Nnaji is one of the most efficient players in college basketball. In our recent Pac-12 bold predictions post, we projected Nnaji to be in contention for Freshman of the Year in the conference and we stick to that. Competition is going to be tough, but he has the goods to be in the conversation.
In 13 games, he leads the team in points and rebounds per game with 16.5 and 7.8 rebounds. Plus, Nnaji is the swat leader on the team with a total of 15 blocks. Early on this season, he was dominating the paint, which has forced opponents to double team him. It took him a short while, but he was able to adjust and have been able to get others to involve. Right now, it’s just a matter of his teammates to start knocking down three-point shots off the double team.
Nnaji has scored in double figures in 11 games and has a season-high of 26 points against San Jose State. He is shooting almost 70% from the field (which leads the Pac-12), which has a lot to do with his positioning down low, his teammates looking for him and his upper body strength. When Nnaji does get the ball delivered to him in the paint, he is almost unstoppable.
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He can score in so many ways. Back to the basket, spin moves, step-back jumpers, authoritative dunks and the occasionally three-point attempt (he has made one this season). Let’s not forget about his free throw shooting. For the season, he is shooting 80% from the line, which is huge for Wildcats. His aggressive style of play gets him to the line a lot.
It’s just not his efficiency on offense that makes him a dangerous player, but on defense as well. Like most freshmen, he has had to adjust to playing defense on the college level. From when the season has started till now, he has become an elite defender down low.
On the season he not only leads the team in blocks but also on the defensive glass. Of the 102 rebounds he has, 66 of those are on defense. Rebounding, being one of the weaknesses of the Wildcats, Nnaji has stepped up and helped this team prevent and provide 2nd chance points. Come Pac-12 play, that will be huge as a lot of the games will be decided by a few points.
Must Read. Arizona Basketball: Five bold predictions for Pac-12 conference play. light
There are a lot of talented freshmen this year in college basketball and Nnaji is among them. His versatility and overall athleticism have been superior so far this season and I have a feeling he isn’t done yet. As always, Bear Down, Arizona!