Ochai Agbaji
No. 30 – Kansas Jayhawks | |
---|---|
Position | Shooting guard |
League | Big 12 Conference |
Personal information | |
Born | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | April 20, 2000
Nationality | American |
Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | Oak Park (Kansas City, Missouri) |
College | Kansas (2018–present) |
Ochai Young Agbaji (born April 20, 2000)[1] is an American college basketball player at the University of Kansas.
Early life[]
Agbaji was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.[1] He grew up playing soccer, upon his father's encouragement, playing club soccer as well as Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball from a young age. Agbaji stopped playing soccer as a sophomore at Oak Park High School in Kansas City, Missouri to focus on basketball. He grew nine inches between his freshman and junior years.[2] In his basketball career at Oak Park, Agbaji did not receive offers from any Power Five college programs until his senior season. As a senior, he averaged 27.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game for Oak Park and was named Kansas City Star All-Metro player of the year.[3] Agbaji was considered a three-star recruit by 247Sports and Rivals.[4] On February 8, 2018, he committed to play college basketball for Kansas over offers from Texas A&M and Wisconsin.[5]
College career[]
Agbaji started his freshman season with Kansas as a redshirt and was a member of the scout team.[6] In early January 2019, his redshirt was lifted because Kansas needed depth after Udoka Azubuike suffered a season-ending injury and Silvio De Sousa faced eligibility issues.[7] On January 29, Agbaji made his first career start scoring 24 points, bringing in seven rebounds, and stealing the ball twice in a loss to Texas. In his next game, he recorded his first double-double in a win over Texas Tech. Agbaji was named Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Week for the two performances.[8] Agbaji averaged 8.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in 22 games including 16 starts as a freshman.[9]
On November 5, 2019, Agbaji made his sophomore season debut scoring 15 points in a loss to fourth-ranked Duke at the Champions Classic.[10] During the aforementioned sophomore season, Agbaji was named Honorable Mention All-Big 12.[11] As a sophomore, Agbaji averaged 10 points and 4.2 rebounds per game and finished second on the team with 46 three-pointers.[12] He averaged 14.1 points per game as a junior, shooting 42 percent from the field. On April 8, 2021, he declared for the 2021 NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility.[13]
Agbaji made his senior season debut on November 9, 2021, recording 29 points in an 87–74 win against Michigan State at the Champions Classic.[14] On January 24, 2022, he scored a career-high 37 points in a 94-91 double overtime win over Texas Tech.[15]
Career statistics[]
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College[]
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2018–19 | Kansas | 22 | 16 | 25.9 | .449 | .307 | .694 | 4.6 | .9 | .5 | .5 | 8.5 |
2019–20 | Kansas | 31 | 31 | 33.3 | .428 | .338 | .673 | 4.2 | 2.0 | 1.2 | .3 | 10.0 |
2020–21 | Kansas | 30 | 30 | 33.7 | .420 | .377 | .689 | 3.7 | 1.9 | 1.1 | .5 | 14.1 |
Career | 83 | 77 | 31.5 | .428 | .352 | .686 | 4.1 | 1.7 | 1.0 | .4 | 11.1 |
Personal life[]
Agbaji's father, Olofu, moved from Nigeria to the U.S. when he was 17.[16] He is a city planner for the city of Kansas City, Missouri.[17][18] His mother, Erica, is from Wisconsin and is a kindergarten teacher in Kansas City.[19] Both of Agbaji's parents played basketball at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. His older sister, Orie, plays volleyball for Texas.[18]
References[]
- ^ a b Tait, Matt (December 11, 2019). "Ochai Agbaji's father, Olofu, explains his son's 'special purpose' after 95-68 Kansas win vs. Milwaukee". KUSports.com. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
- ^ Mellinger, Sam (February 21, 2019). "How and why Kansas freshman Ochai Agbaji went from overlooked recruit to NBA prospect". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ Bedore, Gary; McDowell, Sam (April 11, 2018). "It's official: Oak Park senior Ochai Agbaji signs with Kansas basketball". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ Skretta, Dave (February 25, 2019). "Jayhawks' Agbaji is proof that big-time talent still sneaks under recruiting radar". Fox Sports. Associated Press. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ Daniels, Evan (February 8, 2018). "Ochai Agbaji commits to Kansas". 247Sports.com. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ Moore, CJ (January 10, 2019). "Redshirt burned, Ochai Agbaji comes up big for Kansas". The Athletic. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ Chasen, Scott (January 8, 2019). "Ochai Agbaji to burn redshirt, play Bill Self announces". 247Sports.com. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Agbaji named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week". Kansas Jayhawks. February 4, 2019. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ Bedore, Gary (November 1, 2019). "Agbaji's rapid rise gives KU scoring threat: 'He is poised to have a bust-out year'". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
- ^ "No. 3 Kansas upended by No. 4 Duke, 68-66". Kansas Jayhawks. November 5, 2019. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ "Men's Basketball All-Big 12 Awards Announced" (PDF). Big 12 Conference. March 8, 2020. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
- ^ Braswell, Scott (March 8, 2020). "Azubuike named Big 12 Player of the Year". KTEN. Retrieved April 4, 2020.
- ^ Gates, Riley (April 8, 2021). "Ochai Agbaji declares for 2021 NBA Draft". 247Sports.com. Retrieved May 30, 2021.
- ^ Bedore, Gary (November 10, 2021). "'He's a pro': Ochai Agbaji scores career-high 29 as KU Jayhawks beat Michigan State". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ "Agbaji helps No. 5 Kansas beat Texas Tech 94-91 in 2OT". ESPN. Associated Press. January 25, 2022. Retrieved January 25, 2022.
- ^ Keegan, Tom. Tom Keegan: Ochai Agbaji, KU’s stealth recruit, fits right in, Lawrence Journal-World, June 26, 2018.
- ^ Moore, CJ (June 17, 2019). "Ochai Agbaji's unlikely story starts a new chapter at Kansas, as a go-to player". The Athletic. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ a b Bedore, Gary (June 26, 2018). "Thanks to new teammate, KU's Azubuike is getting home cooking: goat meat and fufu". The Kansas City Star. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- ^ Swain, Michael (January 11, 2019). "Ochai Agbaji's family watched KU debut from up close and afar". 247Sports.com. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
External links[]
- 2000 births
- Living people
- African-American basketball players
- American men's basketball players
- American sportspeople of Nigerian descent
- Basketball players from Milwaukee
- Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball players
- Shooting guards
- 21st-century African-American sportspeople
- 20th-century African-American sportspeople