[The following scouting report is part of a series on potential 2024 draft prospects from Sports Business Classroom alumni.]

Oso Ighodaro
Frame: 6’11″, 235 lbs
Position: Forward
Team: Marquette Golden Eagles
2024 Draft Age: 21
Stats via www.sports-reference.com

Offense

Ighodaro’s biggest offensive strength and go-to shot is his push floater with the right hand. He often fakes handoffs and attacks the basket before getting his floater off. Ighodaro can finish this shot with a soft touch over more prominent big men and smaller wings/guards. Ighodaro shot 51.9 percent on 160 attempts on twos away from the rim while being assisted on 55.4 percent of these shots, according to www.barttorvik.com. He tends to over-rely on this shot, passing up driving lanes at times and opting for his floater, which can be blocked when Ighodaro matches up against centers. 

Marquette often used Ighodaro as a hub in the slots, with their perimeter threats, such as Kam Jones, playing off of him. He developed secondary nature chemistry with his point guard Tyler Kolek (one of the more dangerous two-man actions in the country)—handing the ball off to Kolek or threading a needle to him while he cut to the basket. If neither option were available, Kolek would flash to the ball, where Ighodaro would set a ball screen, and then roll to the rim, where Kolek could dump it off early for Ighodaro’s pattened floater or throw a lob for Ighodaro to finish. 

Ighodaro is versatile in the short roll, hitting cutters through tight windows or finding the big man in the dunker’s spot. He generates 2.9 assists per game and a 16.1 assist percentage while only averaging 1.8 turnovers with a 14.4 turnover percentage. Ighodaro also thrives as a roll man, positioning himself in areas of space after setting a ball screen, which gives his guards more room to deliver him a pass or attack. His soft hands and body control give him a large catch radius to finish lobs around the basket. He made 63.5 percent of his 178 shots at the rim, with 66.4 percent assisted. 

The glaring flaw in Ighodaro’s game right now is his perimeter shooting. In 109 games of college basketball, Ighodaro has attempted two three-point shots. Even at the free-throw line, he shot 62.3 percent on 146 attempts this past season.  His shooting hand has a low release point, while his guide hand shoots up. It suggests that he has a way to go mechanically before becoming a reliable shooter at the line. His three-point shot may never come around.

Defense

Ighodaro excels defensively as a shot blocker and weak-side rim protector. He does an excellent job cheating from the weak side, often timing up blocks or shot contests at the rim against rolling big men. His instincts are great against driving guards, where his length and physicality can swallow them on shot attempts. He struggles around the rim against centers and bigger-sized forwards. They throw their weight against him and get clean looks on Ighodaro. He averaged 1.3 blocks with a 4.7 block percentage this past season. 

On the perimeter, Ighodaro moves his feet well. He can meet opposing ball handlers at the level of the ball screen when guarding pick-and-rolls and can switch onto them for a possession. His size and physicality are apparent against guards who can be overwhelmed and cough the ball up. He averaged 1.1 steals with a 1.9 steal percentage. 

Looking Ahead

Ighodaro is a forward with very clear strengths on both sides of the floor and a skillset that screams versatility. However, his weaknesses are apparent and hinder his ceiling and floor at the next level. His jack-of-all-trades skillset at the forward spot, while lacking a three-point shot and actual size to bang with fives, is similar to Trayce Jackson-Davis of last year’s draft class. However, Ighodaro does not possess the ball-handling skills or post-moves Jackson-Davis has. 

Currently projected as a late to mid-second-rounder, Ighodaro may be a rotation-caliber forward at the next level, with the potential for more if his free-throw or three-point shooting takes a step.