Marquette Golden Eagles forward Oso Ighodaro has been participating in live action during the NBA Draft combine. He is hoping to hear his name called during the 2024 NBA Draft. Marquette will miss his IQ and leadership next season on the floor.
Ighodaro last season for the Golden Eagles played in 36 games and averaged 13.4 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 2.9 APG, 1.3 BPG, and 1.1 SPG. Oso Ighodaro did not shoot anything from three-point land. He shot 57.6% from the field and also shot 62.3% from the free-throw line.
Oso Ighodaro is 6’11” and weighs 235 lbs and is also 21 years old. Ighodaro has been projected as a second-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft in many mock drafts.
Marquette Golden Eagles Oso Ighodaro Projected To Be Selected By the Portland Trail Blazers In the Second Round Of the 2024 NBA Draft
In the latest NBA Mock Draft by Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, he has the Portland Trail Blazers with the 40th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft selecting forward Oso Ighodaro from Marquette. The reasoning he gave Portland for making this pick was as follows:
“Ighodaro would bring a different type of skill set to the frontcourt than anyone else on Portland’s roster, including Deandre Ayton.”
The Portland Trail Blazers finished with the worst record in the Western Conference this past season in the NBA with a 21-61 record. Ayton last season with Portland in 55 games averaged 16.7 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 1.6 APG, 0.8 BPG, and 1.0 SPG.
Scott Henderson is another player on the Trail Blazers who hopes to be around for the long haul and was a rookie a season ago. Portland will also have the seventh overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Some of the strengths of Ighodaro’s game are as follows according to The Ringer:
“Well-rounded defender best suited in a switching scheme next to a rim-protecting center. He has the quickness to play out on the perimeter, and the size to help at the rim. He brings mobility, intelligence, and grit to a defense. Playmaking hub for Marquette who could be a connective piece in the NBA with his feel in two-man actions. He loves to fire bounce passes from the elbows to cutters, and he often threads the needle with pinpoint passes. There’s a flair to his game, too. And he produces highlights while limiting turnovers.”
Some of his weaknesses are as follows:
“Undersized as the lone big on the floor, unless it’s a small-ball lineup. He doesn’t rack up rebounds or offer elite rim protection.”
Ighodaro could be coming off the bench next season for the Trail Blazers, but he could wind up developing his game in the NBA G-League. Oso Ighodaro played for the Marquette Golden Eagles for four years under head coach Shaka Smart and his IQ will translate at the NBA level also.
