Kansas star Ochai Agbaji is on Knicks' radar as NBA draft approaches
Ochai Agbaji #30 of the Kansas Jayhawks drives against Collin Gillespie #2 of the Villanova Wildcats in the second half of the game during the 2022 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal at Caesars Superdome on April 02, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Credit: Getty Images/Tom Pennington
The Knicks are a week away from the NBA Draft, another step removed from the disappointment of last season, and as they held their final workout with a media invitation the star attraction was Ochai Agbaji, who spent four seasons at Kansas, culminating in a star turn to lead the Jayhawks to a national championship.
With the No. 11 pick, it might seem an odd place to be considering a four-year starter in a world of one-and-done prospects, but Agbaji is not alone in the players who have at least come back for a second season of college ball to find their place to draft lottery consideration.
The NBA started predraft media sessions Thursday and the first player to speak, Keegan Murray, saw his production explode from his freshman to sophomore season at Iowa and now he is perceived as a top-5 pick despite a relatively elderly status as a 22-year-old. For context, RJ Barrett just finished his third season with the Knicks and he turned 22 Wednesday.
“I think for me, I've been through a lot in my basketball career,” said Murray, who will not be on the board at No. 11, having met and worked out with Oklahoma City (No. 2 pick), Houston (No. 3), Sacramento (No. 4), Detroit (No. 5) and Indiana (No. 6). “So I've been through those ups and downs. And for me, I feel like I'm mature and have that mindset, that IQ, that whatever happens, get it done the next time. But it’s an 82-game season. so it’s a long season and there could be ups and downs.
“I feel like there's a lot of really good guys in this draft class that have that mindset and that IQ and there's a reason that they're in this position because of what they've done. And what they've done on the court and off the court. I think I feel like I’ve got a lot of growth of me. I had a growth spurt really late. So I'm kind of a little far behind from my grade. But yeah, I think there's a lot of guys in this draft that have that mindset.”
While it’s hard to guess which way the Knicks will go with rumors that they could trade up or back — movement on draft day has been one consistent thread through this front office’s draft-day history — age and experience have not deterred them in the past. Obi Toppin was 22 years old with two seasons of college ball when he debuted with the Knicks after being selected with the No. 8 overall pick. Immanuel Quickley played two seasons at Kentucky and last year’s first-round pick Quentin Grimes spent three seasons in college — one season at Kansas and two at Houston. Last year the Knicks investigated moving up in the draft for Chris Duarte, who was 24 years old at the time of the draft.
So Agbaji’s age of 22 and his four seasons of experience would not mean ruling him out if the Knicks remain at No. 11 and he’s on the board.
While players like Jaden Ivey or Murray took huge leaps forward in their sophomore season it was as a senior that Agbaji took a step up — earning first-team All-American honors and being named the most valuable player of the Final Four as he led Kansas to the title. He averaged 18.8 points per game as a senior and topped 40% from three-point range for the first time.
Agbaji told reporters Thursday after working out that he had dinner with Knicks officials Wednesday and said, “Obviously college is a different game, different level than the league and you know, a different pace, all that stuff. But the maturity and all the experiences and the ups and downs that I've been through, it is similar to the league and obviously it is basketball at the end of the day, I think just the level that I've been competing at for the past four years and the level that I've been going against helps me and prepares me for the league I think better than other guys have.”
Notes & quotes: Among the players speaking Thursday on the NBA’s predraft access, Bennedict Mathurin said he had not worked out for the Knicks.
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
