This next batch, we’re looking at some prospects from teams that underperformed. Washington was one of my favorite teams heading into the pre-season and definitely did not live up to expectations. Stanford exceeded expectations but missed the tournament. Oregon really underperformed and was one of the worst power conference teams this season. Butler also had an underwhelming year. That does not mean that some of these players aren’t very good. We’ll be looking at some potential dynasty sleepers today, so let’s get into it!
Hannes Steinbach
Hannes Steinbach was one of the most coveted European players to come over to college basketball this season. Washington got on his recruitment early, and because of that, they were able to secure his commitment. As a freshman, he had one of the most statistically dominant seasons for a center in the country, but in spite of this, Washington wasn’t very good and didn’t make the tournament. I’ve come in a little lower than the public consensus, as I was more worried about the defense and the fact that he’s already a bit undersized at the center position.
Scouting Report
On Drives: 23/31= 74.1%
On Layups: 110/167 = 65.9%
On Pullups: 1/1 = 10%
On Dunks: 29/30 = 97%
So as we can see here from the shot chart, Hannes is very around the rim. He doesn’t really take nay bad shots. He clearly favors the 3PT shot in the middle vs the corners. The offense should still be effective but a lot of the questions with Steinbach are on the defensive end. Obviously was pretty good on drives this season but not a huge sample there, but big enough to be notable. Obviously good around the rim and on layups.
One of the biggest things that I noticed with this query was how many people here were given a chance in the NBA. If I took off the 3PT attempt filter, the outlook does look a lot better, but there are a lot more wing/forward-type players that pop up instead of forwards/bigs. Steinbach is a better prospect than someone like Johni Broome or Daniel Oturu, but that’s the floor for Steinbach. The 3PT shooting for Steinbach is a plus, but given his issues on defense, increasing his ability to hit 3s will be critical to his long-term success.
Ebuka Okorie
Ebuka Okorie immediately made his presence felt in college basketball and has continued it all year. In most of the games, he has been a dominant force that teams haven’t been able to deal with. Notably against Duke, he really struggled with Duke’s length and really struggled. He has played very well against UNC but at the time, the team was having some defensive concerns. Also played well against Louisville but defense is not what this team is known for. He’s played well against most teams that he should’ve been good against. Admittedly, the Duke game is the one that still sticks in my mind, but the whole sample is important.
Scouting Report
On Drives: 75/105: 71.4% (The best driver in the country)
On Layups: 107/201 = 53.2%
On Pull Ups: 11/25 = 44%
On Dunks: 7/7 = 100%
Ebuka is the best pure driver in the class. He’s tied #1 for prospects this year in terms of # of drives (Chase Ross), and he’s made 21 more than Chase. He’s a good 3PT shooter but not elite. There is a large range of outcomes for Okorie given his skillset, but this is one of the potential All-Stars in the class.
As you can see here, Ebuka is not like a lot of these types of players, but this is the archetype and floor. Now, Ebuka is a much better player and prospect than a lot of these players, and he’s the only freshman who managed to do this. You can see the All-Stars: Kemba Walker, Damian Lillard, and Jalen Brunson. There’s the floor of Cameron Payne and Malachi Flynn. It’s why he’s such a tough evaluation, because the upside is sky-high. Ebuka also has games where he disappears. The NBA has been shifting away from these smaller guards, but Ebuka’s driving, scoring, and low turnovers are intriguing. As of right now, I don’t think he could run as a PG as a rookie. I would like him to go back, improve as a playmaker, and go top 5–10 next season. If he stays in this draft, there are definitely more questions.
Nate Bittle
Oregon Athletics
Nate Bittle has spent four seasons at Oregon and only started two seasons. They only occured after N’Faly Dante left. Bittle had a good junior season and attended the G League Elite Camp last season. He decided to return to the Ducks and had an up-and-down senior year. However, he still has appeal as a potential stretch big.
Scouting Report
On Drives: 5/6 = 83%
On Layups: 69/101 = 68.3%
On Pull Ups: 2/2 = 100%
On Dunks: 9/11 = 81%
Bittle can make layups at a high level. It’s when he’s not doing that that it gets a bit iffy around the rim. He’s a solid 3PT shooter. Not a self-creator, but that’s not as much of a concern to me for Bittle. The PG play this season has been concerning, so if given a better PG, does Bittle look a lot better? It’s possible.
Seven-footers who can shoot 3s at a decent level will get a shot in the NBA. Bittle has some deficiencies, but his skill set is too valuable not to get a serious look on some level. It might just be a two-way, but he deserves to get a look.
Michael Ajayi
Michael Ajayi has had a very interesting college career. He started out at the JUCO level. He then transferred to Pepperdine, where he got on the scene as a potential NBA Draft prospect. He was invited to the NBA Draft Combine in 2024 but decided to go back to school and transfer to Gonzaga. There, he didn’t get the role he expected and then transferred to Butler this season. He’s gotten the usage and minutes this year to showcase what he can do.
Scouting Report
On Drives: 14/34 = 41.2%
On Layups: 42/86 = 48.8%
On Pull Ups: 2/15 = 13%
On Dunks: 12/12 = 100%
The shot selection desperately needs to be cleaned up with Ajayi. The 3PT shot can’t be last in terms of frequency. Then you factor in the efficiency and how it’s already not very good right now. He’s still got good athleticism, but Ajayi will have to dramatically change his game if he’s going to make it in the NBA. If not, we’ll likely just see him overseas somewhere.
So there are obviously a lot of names here, so let’s get to the root of the problem with Ajayi. He has the second-worst 2PT% of this bunch, only ahead of Luke Maye. The 3PT shooting isn’t very good. High usage, low efficiency, undersized big man. He should still get a shot. Teams were interested enough in him at Pepperdine to invite him to the NBA Combine straight up. He had a bad year at Gonzaga, and he had a good year this year, but not as good as it needed to be to get back into this conversation. He’s just a tweener in a bad way. He should still be on some dynasty watch lists depending on where he ends up, because he could very easily end up being a silly-season contributor in the playoffs.
Other Brief Notes:
Other notes on guys on Washington, Stanford, Oregon, Butler, and I’ll lump in Gonzaga, Oregon State, and Washington State since they’re in the region. (I’ll get to Santa Clara at a later date. I have a lot of thoughts.)
So let’s start with Washington. The main other prospect on this team that I think will be good long term is Zoom Diallo. He’s a former top 30 high school recruit. He came off the bench his freshman season but really took a step forward this season. He has NBA length, and he’s stronger than you’d think. He is a bit undersized for a wing, but there’s enough there to carve out a potential Javonte Green-type role. I do like JJ Mandaquit long term as a potential Payton Pritchard-type player, but that’ll most likely be around 2028–2029.
Now let’s get to some more of the guys on Gonzaga.
• The main long-term guy that I like on this team is Davis Fogle. He didn’t really get a chance to play on this veteran team, but he’s 6’7 and 200 pounds. He can shoot the ball well and stuff the stat sheet. He could be a big-time sophomore breakout candidate.
• Mario Saint-Supery is a Spanish guard who came from overseas. He’s a 6’3, 200-pound PG. He’s a nasty defender and can really lead a team. He should be a big sophomore breakout candidate. He can really hit 3s as well.
• Graham Ike is a 3PT-shooting big man at 6’9 and 250 pounds. He’s just a way worse defender than someone like Bittle and very undersized. Good G League center, though.
• Tyon Grant-Foster is on this team after having a judge let him play this year. After that explosive first year at Grand Canyon, the shot has really fallen off, and while he was better this year, it hasn’t been amazing. Could be an interesting Summer League guy.
On Washington State, the main guy is Aaron Glass. He’s a really good scorer and shooter as a guard. The main problem is that he’s undersized and not really a PG. Could be an interesting guy to monitor long term.
On Oregon State, the main guy I like is Isaiah Sy. He’s listed at 6’7 and 200 pounds. He isn’t afraid to shoot 3s. The main problem is that he hasn’t been efficient at all in his college career, and the defense needs work. Josiah Lake could be an interesting second-round flyer next year as a PG, too.
On Butler, the only other guy that’s really interesting to me is Finley Bizjack. Good scorer and shooter as a guard. Could be a potential second-round pick next year.
There’s nobody else on Stanford or Oregon who really stands out for the NBA. Jackson Shelstad had a really disappointing season. He’d need a big breakout next season to get back on radars.
Dynasty Outlook:
For Hannes Steinbach, if he stays in this draft, this is a lottery-level dynasty prospect. The production is too good to ignore. You just have to hope he gets drafted to a bad team, and he’ll put up numbers. I’m a little more concerned about his outlook long term, but players like him can go for quite a bit in trades if you’re patient and sell high at the right moment. Or you can keep him, and he’s a potential top 30 fantasy player.
For Ebuka Okorie, I think it largely just depends on the pre-draft process. Obviously, there’s a fantasy-friendly skill set, and he’s young. The fact that we haven’t seen buzz super high on Okorie from NBA teams is a hit to his dynasty value right now. If that name heats up, this could be someone you can swing on in the back half of the lottery. More than likely, he’ll be a good swing in the 20s for one of those rebuilding teams with multiple picks. He’s someone who would really benefit from a rebuilding situation.
For Nate Bittle and Michael Ajayi, admittedly I’m much more interested in Nate Bittle than Ajayi. For Bittle, I think a pick in the 40s–50s is good, depending on where he goes. Branden Carlson has hung around the league, and Bittle could end up in a similar situation. For Ajayi, this is someone I’d be looking at in the 50s to undrafted if your league goes that deep. He could be an interesting flyer as an undrafted free agent if your league is big enough, given the fantasy skill set. If he goes to a bad team, he’ll likely be more valuable to a playoff contender as a potential boost in the playoffs.