NBA Comparison: Jerome Kersey/Justin Reed

Strengths: Ojeleye is a physically developed forward at 6’7” and 235 pounds with excellent versatility … He can handle the ball in the open court and make shots from the perimeter both spotting up or on the move … He is also a solid shot creator in the half-court, and he gets to the free throw line frequently by using his combination of strength and mobility … Ojeleye may be a valued later pick in this draft, as an explosive combo forward that can stretch the floor, create his own shot and be a factor defensively … Ojeleye has become an excellent stretch four-type player at SMU, something he did not have many opportunities to exhibit during the early stages of his career at Duke … He shot 42% from the arc this season while attempting almost five three-pointers per game … Ojeleye’s work ethic is top notch, as he has added multiple dimensions to his game since his time at Duke … He played mostly as a four man in SMU’s offense, so there will be few questions about where to play him in the NBA … Ojeleye can also shoot off the dribble if chased off the three-point line, as he has an effective pull-up jumper off of one or two dribbles … He is mobile enough to attack opposing fours off the dribble with his lethal combination of power and quickness … He is also dangerous as a face up post player, with an excellent face up jumper, and he has crisp footwork from down in this area … Ojeleye averaged 23.5 points per 40 minutes, while shooting 50% from two and 42% from three, showing his ability to play within himself and be efficient … Ojeleye has an NBA ready frame at 235 pounds, and at age 22 he will be ready to contribute immediately … He’s also an outstanding athlete in space with the ability to finish above the rim when he has momentum … He particularly utilizes this ability on the offensive glass, where he has terrific motor to pursue the ball, and often turn missed shots into thunderous put backs … He is not elite on the defensive glass yet, but he does a great job of using his strength to box his man out and carve out space … Ojeleye also is a very good finisher around the basket in part due to his mature frame and quality body control … He is a high IQ player, as he rarely commits turnovers and overall does an excellent job of not forcing the issue and playing to his strengths … He is an outstanding teammate and never tries to do too much … His most likely role in the NBA will be mostly as a mismatch small ball four-man, who can play on the wing occasionally …

Weaknesses: Ojeleye is a bit undersized for a power forward even in today’s small ball heavy NBA at 6’7”, and he doesn’t have elite length either at 6’10” (wingspan) … Defensive fit will be a big question mark going forward as he’s not quite big enough to match up with traditional fours, and he doesn’t have a ton of experience guarding NBA-level wings, as a result of playing in the AAC … His instincts on that end have room to improve as well, evident by his low block and steal rates … Ojeleye can also be more productive on the defensive glass (just 5.5 d-boards per 40 minutes) … If he is going to play the four for long stretches in the NBA, he will need to add some improvement here … Ojeleye’s lack of elite size and average standstill leaping will hurt him as an interior scorer in the NBA, and his overall perimeter skill set could use some polish if he wants to play more minutes on the perimeter … Ojeleye is not nearly as explosive in traffic, and he is not a great ball handler for a wing player … He also does not have a great left hand, which can make it difficult to succeed in the NBA without some degree of ambidexterity … Another big question mark will be how he adjusts from the poor level of competition of the American conference this season to the NBA … He did little to squander these questions when SMU had big NCAA tournament expectations, but were bounced early by USC, a team with great size, length, and athleticism …

Notes: Measured 6’6.5 (in shoes) 217 lbs, with a 6’9.5 wingspan at the 2012 LeBron James Skills Academy … Full name is Semilore OjeleyeFamily originally from Nigeria … Four-year starter at Ottawa High School for head coach Jon McKowen … Set Kansas high school career (2,763) and senior-year (952) scoring records… Helped Ottawa to four state championship game appearances and a 94-10 record… Two-time first team all-state, three-time first team All-Frontier League … 2013 Parade Magazine National Player of the Year… 2013 Gatorade Kansas Boys Basketball Player of the Year … Appeared in 23 games in two seasons at Duke … AAC Player of the Year last season at SMU …

William P. Desautelle III 6/8/17