NBA Comparison: Chuma Okeke

Strength: A long, wide-shouldered 6’8 combo forward whose physical tools really stand out for a mid-major prospect … Late bloomer who has put on muscle each year of college, and should continue to be able to easily pack more weight into his current 205 lb frame without the loss of athleticism … Good mobility, can comfortably operate on the perimeter or mid-range and shows nice agility and lateral quickness on both ends of the court…Very good perimeter shooting touch, has unorthodox lower body movement in his set up but he gets his legs into his follow through and his release and shot mechanics never change … A knockdown shooter when spotting up in rhythm, but also a factor finding open spots in the defense by moving without the ball, and can hit shots coming off screens from mid-range or 3 … Great pick and pop threat when he’s at the PF spot…Has nice defensive potential, moves his feet & uses his size very well to force tough shots, and has already shown promise being able to defend any frontcourt position as well as some perimeter switches…Above average timing as a shot blocker (1.3 bpg for his career), shows solid instincts and awareness on and off the ball … Can finish strong or with soft touch at the rim, had very few problems converting in the paint against WCC competition … FT shooting improved significantly each season, finished his JR season shooting 87.6% … Unselfish, doesn’t really force the issue and generally gets all his shots within a team structure …

Weaknesses: Some teams consider him to be a SF, but he lacks some perimeter skills to be a full-time wing…. Looks to finish plays more than make them (1.2 apg for his career), not really a shot creator even though, somewhat by necessity, he had to be at times in college … Where his unorthodox lower body motion may actually help his shooting stroke, follow through when spotting up, his ability to make shots off the dribble seems to be significant slowed and negatively affected by it … A bit heavy-footed when looking to break down the defense off the dribble on the perimeter …. Nothing more than average as a low post scorer, more comfortable facing up or being set up moving without the ball … Didn’t face the toughest competition or many prospects with the physical gifts he possesses … Good defensive potential, but some of the fundamental breakdowns (upright defensive stance against dribble drives, out of control closeouts etc) he had at Pepperdine will be more difficult to overcome against NBA-level players … Had a productive career, but some think he should’ve been more dominant and aggressive against the competition he faced, particularly on the glass (6.6 rpg for his career) … Has a good standing reach at 8’10, but lacks ideal size at just 6’7 barefoot … Weighed just 203 lbs at the combine … Not ideal weight for a player that will be asked to fight for boards at the next level … Turns 22 on August 8th …

Overall: Edwards enters the 2021 draft class after having 3 excellent seasons at Pepperdine, where he was a consistent figure amongst top scoring threats and shot-blockers in the WCC each of the past 2 seasons … His unorthodox, but consistent shooting stroke, physical profile and versatility defensively from the frontcourt are his main calling cards as a prospect … He is a bit raw in his perimeter fundamentals and footwork on both ends of the court, but he definitely has skills that are valued in the present NBA and could end up being a diamond in the rough depending on where he’s selected …Received an invite and made some buzz surrounding his play/athleticism numbers at the 2021 NBA Draft Combine … Projected as a likely mid-second rounder …

Notes: Measured: 6’7.0” barefoot, 6’8.0” in shoes, 8’10.0” standing reach, 203.0 lbs, 6’11.25” wingspan at the 2021 NBA Draft Combine …

Jorrye Nixon 7/17/21