NBA Comparison: Naz Ried

Strengths: Mogbo is a 6’7 220 C/PF with a massive 7’2 wingspan that allows him to play bigger than his height might suggest …A springy, mobile athlete who gets off the floor quickly and has as good a 2nd jump as just about anybody in this class … Did the vast majority of his scoring near the basket, where his aforementioned leaping skills and wingspan made him a huge factor converting plays in close, with most plays ending in an emphatic dunk (14.2 PPG on 63 FG% this season) … An active player with a strong nose for the ball (10.2 RPG this season); always looking to cut to open spaces and make himself available for dumpoff passes & is also a productive offensive rebounder who gets plenty of putbacks (3 OPRG the past 2 seasons) … Great hands and has a wide catch radius to snag balls that are out of his area … Runs the floor very well and is excellent in transition, with intriguing ability to initiate fast breaks and make things happen for himself or his teammates on the move … Ball-handling & change of direction ability are definitely above average for a PF/C, especially in the open court…Also shows a good feel for passing in the high post (3.6 APG, 2:1 A:TO this season), with some impressive feeds to cutters and other bigs in hi-lo actions … Length and activity level give him the makings of a versatile defensive player that can switch up and down the lineup…Gets his hands on the ball and can smother passing lanes with aggressive ball denials (1 BPG & 1.4 SPG the past 2 seasons) … Makes good rotations as a help defender and can come up with the occasional strong weakside rejection (28 blocks this season) … Makes hustle plays and isn’t afraid of contact which gives him easy projections to be the ‘junkyard dog’ in a teams rotation … Improved FT shooting touch offers hope he can continue to extend his range outside the paint in the future (69 FT% this season, up from 43% in ‘22-23) …

Weaknesses: Physical profile outside of his length isn’t great; at 6’7 220 he’s both short and on the lighter side for a strictly frontcourt player … Has wiry strength, especially in his upper body, and seems willing to bang but is going to be at a size disadvantage when matched up with most NBA C’s … Poses no threat as a shooter; does not score outside of the paint currently and that puts a cap on how much his offensive game will translate to the NBA level … Adding a mid-range game at the least wouldn’t hurt; will be dared to shoot which will lead to passing and driving lanes being clogged as defenders drop back … Nothing more than mediocre in terms of post moves or footwork with his back to the basket, and his lack of height makes that part of his game even more doubtful to translate well to the pros…Worked hard to get his points but is not a natural scorer or shot-creator against set defenses … Much more effective getting points in the open court than as a half-court player and is heavily reliant on his athleticism and motor to produce … Doesn’t always go up quite as strong against players with comparable size and athleticism, and will face a learning curve going from the bigs in the MVC & WCC to the NBA … Older prospect; will be 23 years old as a rookie which casts questions about his upside and development, particularly when talking about improving his perimeter skills …

Overall: Jonathan Mogbo is a prospect who grew up in the West Palm Beach area, experiencing a late growth spurt and having no offers out of HS in the 2020 Class … He played at 2 JC programs before transferring to Missouri State as a 3rd year player, and he had a decent season that included leading the team in rebounds … He decided to transfer again, this time to University of San Francisco and enjoyed a real breakthrough season on a squad he led to the NIT, being named the league’s Newcomer of the Year and 1st Team All-WCC while leading the conference with 17 double doubles … He showed off an interesting mix of skills as a passer, rebounder and transition player as a 6’7 big that is statistically amongst the best finishers in this class with a penchant for powerful dunks and open court creation…Also plays strong and has the athleticism and length to be versatile on defense … Showed he is a bit raw in halfcourt situations though and offers little in the way of shooting or perimeter skills in general, and his advanced age makes many wonder if he’ll ever add range to his offensive profile…The FT shooting increase offers some hope but there is still plenty of work to be done … All in all, Mogbo has done himself a favor by building on his productive season with some impressive NBA Combine testing and scrimmage play, and now is firmly on NBA scouts radar with a growing buzz that could see him get an  mid 2nd round pick that a team takes a flyer on due to his intriguing combination of skills …

Notes: Measured 6′ 6.25” barefoot, 9′ 0.50” standing reach, 217.2 lbs, 7′ 2.00” wingspan, 31.5 standing vert, 37.5 max vert at the 2024 NBA Draft Combine …

Jorrye Nixon 6/15/24