The all-time Big East NBA mock draft

No. 2 overall pick in 2004

2003-04 UConn stats (Junior): 17.6 points, 11.5 rebounds, 4.1 blocks per game (Won National Title)

Gordon’s teammate, meanwhile, probably gets a bump in today’s game as his skill set fit better as a modern five than it did a decade earlier. Back injuries limited him in the pros, but Okafor was an absolute freak in college, with a 7-foot-4 wingspan, above-average hops and the lateral quickness to switch pick-and-rolls in a way that wasn’t fully utilized until late in his career. His bread and butter was offensive rebounding and rolls to the rim, and he was miscast as a post-up weapon, although he had enough in his arsenal to be a threat there as well. Reconfigure his shot distribution, and it’s not hard to see him as a more effective offensive weapon.

The defensive value, meanwhile, would have been immense. It’s forgotten just how good Okafor was at protecting the rim at UConn — even with the caveat of sitting in the middle of a 2-3 zone for long stretches, Okafor was a brilliant weakside and recovery shot-blocker, with the strength and timing to challenge shots at the rim. This skill set was directly translatable to the NBA. The combination of his ability to play on the perimeter, rebound, and challenge shots gave him immense defensive potential. The only problem was the back, as it’s likely up to random chance how much that affects him. That red flag keeps him right at the edge of the lottery.