Emmanuel Negedu

Negedu was a monster in terms of sheer intimidation over the weekend, but was not the dominant presence that he has proven to be over the years. He seemed far more concerned with showing everyone in attendance that he is attempting to become a small forward than he did with playing his usual game, which usually revolves around bullying foes around the basket.

The Arizona commit showed off his ridiculous strength and athleticism a few occasions via monstrous dunks in transition and impressive blocked shots. Owning the physique of an NBA post player, he is able to outmuscle opponents in the pivot with regularity. Emmanuel’s game is primarily based on his strength and leaping ability, although if you hadn’t seen him before this weekend, you might not have been able to tell. Opting mostly to hang out on the perimeter, as well as battling foul trouble, he struggled mightily this weekend and didn’t play anywhere near his capabilities.

At a generous 6’7, Negedu, is an undersized power forward who doesn’t have a great deal of finesse skills. He still needs plenty of work on his shot before he even thinks of attempting 5 three pointers in a game again, and shows very raw footwork on the blocks. All in all, the Brewster man-child still has a ways to go in terms of perimeter skills before he can be considered an NBA draft prospect. However, we’re pretty certain that Negedu will be an excellent compliment to Brandon Jennings and will prove to ultimately be a very nice college player down the road.

We didn't have the chance to catch too much action of Negedu, as his team soon ended the competition in one of the bottom four spots. Still, eventually emerging as the go-to guy for Nigeria, we did have the chance to witness Negedu taking advantage of his greatly superior physical strength and athleticism to deliver in the paint. He’s a sort of combo-forward who filled the four position in this tournament full-time, but might be suitable for the three spot down the road. He looked rather skilled finishing around the basket, showing a nice soft touch and a decent mid-to-short-range jumper. His range extends out to the three-point line, but he loses accuracy in the process. He can eventually put the ball on the floor, but he doesn't particularly stand out with his ball-handling skills. He's aggressive going for rebounds and blocks, showing great reactivity. If he manages to polish his perimeter skills-- such as his shooting and ball-handling-- enabling him to be a effective face-up player from the perimeter, he could emerge as a very interesting prospect. Negedu goes to school at Brewster Academy and is committed to playing at Arizona in 2008.