We continue our elongated look at UCLA basketball recruiting by checking out a 4-star wingman in Semi Ojeleye out of Ottawa, Kansas.
First a look at some tape, yeah?
We can obtain a few things from this. It’s fair to say he’s athletic as hell. He gets pretty far off the ground and he has the speed and quickness to get to the rim. He’s also strong enough to absorb contact and finish inside. In half the shots he’s taken, he manages to finish well while being hit and surrounded by a couple of defenders.
We can also see that he’s got awesome range. The other half of his shots were from long range and he seems to be a solid three-point shooter both off and on the dribble. Basically, he’s what you look for in a small forward at any level.
Do the scouting reports agree? You bet your ass they do.
All the reports have reached the consensus that he’s incredibly athletic. They also like his rebounding abilities, which is what comes with being really athletic and being 6’6”.
They also agree on Ojeleye’s range; he is a solid three-point shooter, even though there seems to be disagreement if he can do it off or on the ball.
Furthermore, the scouts love the dude’s upside.
The knocks? He’s not exactly an elite scorer, per these scouts, and he doesn’t exert effort on a consistent basis, which is always a red flag when said kid’s main draw is having a lot of potential.
The dude needs to work on working hard (meta, I know). Other than that, he has all the makings of a very good small forward, and although UCLA is stacked at the wing position — well, shit, what basketball team isn’t? — the dude provides outside shooting and slashing skills to make him a serviceable threat from the perimeter, something UCLA lacked last year and could very well be lacking next year.
I dig him (what recruit have I not dug?). He’s got a long way to go, and his senior year could play an enormous role in his stock as a prospect.
GO BRUINS!!!