Ike Anigbogu didn’t produce much in his lone season at UCLA, but he flashed the physical tools and upside that could make him a force should the Milwaukee Bucks choose him in the NBA Draft.
Who is Ike Anigbogu?
Even though he played on one of the NCAA’s best teams at UCLA, Ike Anigbogu flew under the radar of most notoriety and attention during his freshman season.
A consensus top-50 recruit, he is one of three one-and-done players to leave the Bruins for the draft, the others being T.J. Leaf and Lonzo Ball, the latter of which commanded much of the spotlight in college.
Coming off the bench, Anigbogu’s basic statline of 13 minutes, 4.7 points, 4 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game doesn’t immediately jump out as NBA-ready, but that’s not really what makes him attractive to scouts and front offices.
His frame and athletic base makes him a good candidate for the modern center position, but there does remain some uncertainty regarding how little we’ve seen out of him thus far.
In order to take a closer look at Anigbogu’s prospects, we’ll examine his strengths and weaknesses, plus where the experts project him going come June 22.
Strengths
Two factors combine to bless Anigbogu with impressive upside. For one, his physical profile is already imposing, as he stands 6’10” and a stout 252 pounds, with an incredible 7’6″ wingspan.
When combined with his youth (he won’t turn 19 until October 22), Anigbogu looks to have boundless upside if his tools can be applied in the right direction.
He uses his length and leaping ability to garner boards on both ends, drawing in 12.4 rebounds per 40 minutes and posting a stellar 13.2 offensive rebounding percentage.
He’s powerful enough to absorb contact and finish anyway, moving and cutting well to receive passes around the hoop.
He also projects favorably as a roll man in the screen game, able to get up quickly for lob passes and dunk with two hands in traffic.
Anigbogu also proved extremely proficient in transition as part of the fast-paced philosophy UCLA adopted last season, scoring 1.44 points per possession according to DraftExpress.
He’s very quick and fluid for his size and runs the floor well, which should sound attractive to the Bucks, who rode the open-court games of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jabari Parker, and others to the NBA’s fourth-best transition offense.
In terms of defense, Anigbogu’s main strength is unsurprisingly his shot-blocking, as he rejected 3.7 shots per 40 minutes. This threat, as well as his ability to shade ball-handlers coming off of screens, should make him a force on defense if only due to his activity.
Anigbogu’s main strengths are those that can flourish or be improved simply through effort, as Bucks fans saw lat year with Thon Maker. He fits well as a modern, defensive-focused center with the ability to perform multiple functions without demanding touches.
Weaknesses
For as gifted as he is physically, Anigbogu doesn’t have a ton of polish to his game. He attempted just 17 field goals outside of the restricted area last season, making only four of them, according to The Ringer’s draft guide.
In the post, he doesn’t have any sort of touch or moves of any kind to rely on. This can lead to him getting trapped with the ball, especially when bodied up by similarly-sized defenders like he’ll see in the NBA.
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Although he’s extremely active on defense, this can manifest itself in negative ways, as evidenced by his abnormally high foul rate (7.6 per 40 minutes).
He’ll have to learn when to make an effort to alter shots and when to simply wall up and prepare for a defensive rebound.
Anigbogu’s DraftExpress profile mentions this weakness, saying that his “overall awareness leaves something to be desired” when it comes to rebounding.
His lack of experience can lend itself to discussions of a higher ceiling, but it also leaves Anigbogu’s floor very low in terms of his NBA future.
If he can’t develop quickly, his pro career may be short. Injuries have also become a concern, as he missed time during both his senior year of high school and freshman year of college with various ailments.
He’s not a safe pick by any means, but at least Anigbogu’s weaknesses are easily diagnosed.
What The Experts Say
(as of 5/24)
DraftExpress (Jonathan Givony): 15th
ESPN (Chad Ford): 19th
CBS (Howard Megdal): 19th
Sporting News (Sam Vecenie): 32nd
The Step Back (Chris Stone): 19th
Quotes:
Chris Stone of The Step Back preaches caution and patience with regard to Anigbogu’s development, making him a better fit for a team on the rise or rebuilding.
"“Anigbogu, though, is going to require patience. While he has terrific measureables for the center spot, he’s a raw prospect who is still developing his feel for the game on both ends of the floor.”"
Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress outlines Anigbogu’s tendency and ability to run the floor, a skill that is unique for his size and position.
"“[Anigbogu] has a strong first few steps in transition and long strides once he gets up to full speed, allowing him to beat his man down the court with regularity. He’s also an active rim runner who takes few possessions off.”"
Fit with the Bucks
With John Hammond gone as general manager, we really have no idea the trends that will emerge from the new regime, but if the Bucks are to continue their ways of selecting youthful talent with lengthy wingspans, Anigbogu would certainly be a typical pick.
The Bucks’ center position is still rather crowded, what with Greg Monroe and Spencer Hawes’ statuses up in the air, John Henson under contract for another three seasons, and Thon Maker needing an increased minutes load to further his development.
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However, Anigbogu revealed in a workout interview that the Bucks had already explained his potential role to him, saying he “felt comfortable”.
The progressions of Maker and Anigbogu wouldn’t necessarily have to clash should they wind up together. In an ideal scenario, the UCLA product would fill a smaller role, likely off the bench, while Maker is utilized as a more diverse weapon.
Where Maker might struggle with his slender stature in dealing with bigger centers, Anigbogu could step in and provide support. They could even share the floor in bigger lineups with Maker at power forward, a position he played occasionally last year.
Looking past the center position, Anigbogu seems to be a good fit next to Jabari Parker, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and the rest of the Bucks, serving as a workhorse on both ends of the floor and fixing their mistakes on defense.
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As far as draft position goes, Anigbogu looks to slot in right around where the Bucks will pick, although as we saw last year, anything can happen come draft night.