The college basketball season is officially a couple of weeks in, which means NBA mock drafts are starting to be released. The college season has seen a few players get off to a hot start, including Louisville native Tyran Stokes, who scored 23 points against Kentucky, and Louisville 5-star freshman Obinna Ekezie Jr.
Tyran Stokes may not play for Louisville, but his latest comments say plenty
Ekezie is currently turning heads nationwide as the 7-foot-2 center emerges as one of the top center prospects for the 2027 NBA Draft. The 5-star freshman committed to Louisville ranked No. 2 overall in the 2027 recruiting class, then reclassified to the 2026 recruiting class and remained the No. 1 center in the nation.
Now, as NBA mock drafts and scouting reports start flying around, Ekezie is the Cardinal everyone is talking about.
Louisville's Obinna Ekezie Jr. is emerging as one of the top center prospects for 2027 draft
Ekezie is emerging as one of the top centers in college basketball at just 18 years old, and he is now trending as a projected first-round pick. The 5-star freshman is projected as high as No. 13 in SB Nation’s latest NBA mock draft, where they predict the Charlotte Hornets to draft Ekezie.
What makes SB Nation, Bleacher Report, and many other media outlets project Ekezie as a top-15 pick is his rare combination of size and the ability to make shots from beyond the arc. The 7-foot-2 center shot 3-of-6 from beyond the arc against Morehead State this past weekend, and earlier this year he shot 4-of-6 from downtown on the road against Kansas.
“Ekezie has stood out from other centers in the class with his strong floor-spacing ability at the center position,” stated Yahoo’s Benjamin Yu. “Ekezie is an efficient shooter who has shot the ball with solid volume for a center. He can punish opposing teams with his three-point shot off of pick-and-pops.”
But it isn’t just his offense that grabs NBA scouts' attention. He is a very skilled defender with his size and length. He was an elite rim protector in high school, averaging 1.8 blocks per game, and he has quickly brought that to Louisville and college basketball.
With a 7-foot-5 wingspan, the 5-star freshman is a dominant rim protector for the Cardinals, recording five blocks against Kansas and two blocks against Morehead State. He also plays physically and isn't afraid to get his hands dirty in the paint. He is an elite rebounder, recording a double-double against Morehead State with 13 rebounds and adding eight boards against Kansas.
"He has also been a great defensive big man in the paint as a shot-blocker, where he is averaging 2.0 blocks per game. His strong frame and length let him be a major presence on the boards," stated Yu.
Yu has Ekezie as one of his top centers for the upcoming NBA Draft, and if the 5-star freshman continues to shoot the way he is, he will likely only climb up the mock drafts. Not many 7-foot-2 centers can shoot the 3-ball like Ekezie, and for that rare reason, plus his ability to dominate the paint, he is a projected top-15 pick.
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