Semi Testing the NBA Waters (Did not hire agent)

[MFFL02]

Wow this sucks but we had to expect this is what would happen. He's 22. If you were a sibling I'm sure you would have advised him to go pro.

It was such a fun year watching him. I hope he's amazing in the pros, I'll certainly root for him!

[ponyfan37]

It's sad. But I understand the decision. Just wish he could've led us to a run in the tournament. I really hope he goes in the first round and makes an impact in the league.

[mrydel]

We will be fine. I am glad we got to see him play for us.

[hoopmanx]

Good kid, wish him well, but he's infinitely easier to replace than several other pieces we've lost in last bunch of years.

[LA_Mustang]

mrydel and hoop are right. We lost Nic who was the best player to play at SMU in decades and we got better as a team. Next man up.

[sadderbudweiser]

This is a part of progress that's tough to swallow but it's progress nevertheless.....we have awesome people coming in and we'll get more....and better!

[deucetz]

Toronto Raptors Draft workout notes: Brooks and Ojeleye headline intriguing session

http://www.raptorsrepublic.com/2017/05/ ... g-session/

Semi Ojeleye
Chad Ford Rank: 37, DraftExpress Rank: 28

Likely the most popular name of the process so far in our comments section, it’s easy to see why the SMU product might check off some boxes for the Raptors. He’s a 22-year-old junior, providing the sort of help-now maturity Toronto has leaned toward in recent drafts, even if his actual college playing experience was somewhat limited. He also earned accolades for his schoolwork (he was a national honor society member and had a perfect GPA in high school), work in the community (he was a NABC Good Works Team nominee), and work ethic (SMU coach Tim Jankovich said he’s never seen a player work harder). The Raptors are a people-first organization, and the well-educated, well-read Ojeleye seems a natural fit in that regard.

“What I am off the court plays into what I am on the court, for sure,” Ojeleye said. “I think you miss shots or someone makes a bad play, I think who you are shows in that moment. So I think that helps me, who I am, I think they see that, I think they know that.”

On top of being mentally ready, he’s among the most physically ready players in the draft, too. And he can really shoot it, with a pretty stroke that saw him knock down 42.4 percent of a high volume of threes after a redshirt year following his transfer from Duke. That transfer may confuse things a bit, though, as it made Ojeleye an older prospect who could physically dominate some of his competition. He played little as a Blue Devil before that, though he did produce more statistically in games against power conference opponents, at least. There’s also some noise in his strong season, too, as some metrics weren’t in agreement with the eye-test about his defense, which may play into the confusion about his ultimate position.

“I’m kinda positionless right now. Everybody asks me that question: Am I a three or am I a four?” Ojeleye said. “I think as far as defense, I can guard the three and the four, so I can play with multiple lineups. And offensively, as I get more comfortable on the perimeter, I can play the three, and I already know how to play the four, so as teams teach me what to do, I think I’ll be more versatile.”

Tweener can be as much a positive as a negative now, and really, it’s easy to see what the Raptors could fall in love with. A 6-foot-10 wingspan and 241-pound frame, an elite max vertical jump, and some of the best agility and speed scores at the combine all speak to the clay the team would be molding with. They believe deeply in their development staff, and like Pascal Siakam a year ago, the Raptors may see Ojeleye as undervalued because of his age but still with plenty of untapped upside. And he would seem to fit perfectly from a culture standpoint.

On top of everything else, Ojeleye also set the 2017 workout high in the Raptors’ finishing drill, which sees players sprint the length of the floor for two-and-a-half minutes shooting catch-and-shoot threes, pull-up threes, and layups. This is not something a 240-pound forward is supposed to dominate in, and yet Ojeleye has set the new high-water mark, scoring 44 points to end his day.

“You know, I didn’t shoot the ball too well when we played live,” Ojeleye said. “I feel like I’m a good shooter and I think it showed in that drill. So just stay mentally poised and know that when you do something well, it’ll eventually show up in the workout.”

[deucetz]

Oklahoma City Thunder Draft Prospect: Semi Ojeleye provides upside
Talented small forward out of SMU can provide the Thunder a dynamic player with their first round pick

http://www.welcometoloudcity.com/2017/6 ... des-upside