The Sacramento Kings await their NBA Draft fate soon amid the lottery selections. But this talent out of St. John's is worth a closer look in later rounds.
The Sacramento Kings face one of the franchise's most important NBA Draft cycles to date.
This franchise already invested in handing Doug Christie another season. Which in turn hands him more power next to general manager Scott Perry with creating their roster.
Obviously drafting AJ Dybantsa out of BYU will sell tickets. Yet Sacramento must land at either No. 1 or two to grab him.
Keaton Wagler of Illinois and Kingston Flemings of Houston are two more strong possibilities, especially if the Kings don't land at No. 1 overall or even the top three after May 10.
But the Kings shouldn't just box themselves into focusing on a likely top five pick. Sometimes a draft gem rises outside of the lottery picks.
Zuby Ejiofor of St. John's is officially one to monitor closely. Ejiofor dominated in one of the tougher conferences in America the Big East then became his own March Madness star.
In observing him closer, Ejiofor brings lots of intrigue for these reasons we're presenting.
Ejiofor dishes punishment as a "small" center
The Red Storm star stands at 6-foot-9, built more for forward.
Except legendary national champion winning head coach Rick Pitino trusted Ejiofor at center.
Not many 6-foot-9 talents can handle the middle rigors of center. Ejiofor dished out the punishment, though, playing in the Big East.
Even National Championship game runner-up UConn watched Ejiofor's wrath including becoming the recipient of seven blocked shots.
Offensively, Ejiofor knows how to physically create space down low to get two points in, as seen here during the Sweet 16 game against Duke.
Ejiofor can cover serious ground
There are moments Ejiofor looks more like a NFL defensive back or linebacker covering the tallest wideout option. He knows how to stay attached to the hip.
Northern Iowa witnessed this example, as Ejiofor literally goes coast-to-coast and forces the out of bounds pass.
This shows Ejiofor is well conditioned to cover ground.
He's a hustle player. Which also means teams running the fast break aren't guaranteed to be safe facing him.
Lastly, Ejiofor protects the rim with aggressive intent, delivering 2.2 blocks per game. He established himself as one of the nation's best blockers on the floor.
Is Ejiofor a natural Kings fit?
Yes, the Red Storm standout isn't the top priority for the Kings.
But he must become a priority if you're Perry and Christie.
Sacramento has a future to think about...including if it's time to say goodbye to some beloved veterans.
Maxime Raynaud needs help down low for the future. Nique Clifford flashed when healthy but can use someone to create screens and separation on his shot attempts.
The projected first rounder will be an explosive offense-first talent and one who attacks the rim. The next pick must be more defensive oriented who can score underneath too.
That's where Ejiofor comes in involving the latter.
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