Kansas Jayhawks’ Christian Braun, Ochai Agbaji post impressive leaps at NBA combine

Kansas’ Christian Braun and Ochai Agbaji were two of approximately 80 NBA hopefuls who had measurements taken Wednesday at the league’s draft combine at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

Agbaji, who is set to begin his pro career after playing four seasons at KU, measured 6-foot-5 3/4 with shoes, 6-4 1/2 barefoot. The KU and Oak Park High School graduate weighed in at 216.8 pounds with a 6-10 1/4 wingspan and 8-8 standing reach. He had 5.4% body fat.

Agbaji had a max vertical leap of 39 inches, which tied for fourth-best mark of all players at the combine. His standing vertical leap of 32 inches was good for sixth-best.

Braun, who has entered his name in the 2022 NBA Draft with the possibility of playing a fourth season at KU, measured 6-7 with shoes, 6-5 1/2 barefoot. He weighed 209.2 pounds with a 6-6 1/2 wingspan and 8-3 1/2 standing reach. He had 6.2% body fat.

Braun’s max vertical leap of 40 inches was third best of all players at the combine. His standing vertical of 33.5 inches tied for third of all players at the event.

KU’s Jalen Wilson, who also is participating in this week’s combine, had measurements taken Monday at the NBA G League Elite Camp in Chicago.

Wilson measured 6-foot-7 1/4 with shoes, 6-5 3/4 barefoot. He weighed 224.6 pounds with a 6-8 1/4 wingspan and 8-6 standing reach. He had 7.65% body fat. Wilson has entered his name in the draft with the possibility of returning to KU for his redshirt junior season. He played well enough at G League camp to be asked to remain in Chicago for the Combine.

KU’s David McCormack, who has announced plans to begin his pro career rather than play a super senior season at KU, also attended the G League Elite Camp. He was not invited to stay for the combine.

McCormack measured 6-10 3/4 with shoes, 6-9 1/4 barefoot at the G League camp. He weighed 260.6 pounds with a 7-2 wingspan and 9-0 standing reach. He had 12.8% body fat, second highest of the 44 combine players. Kenny Lofton of Louisiana Tech’s body fat was 15.15%.

Wilson and Braun will compete in 5 on 5 scrimmages Thursday and Friday at Wintrust Arena. Agbaji, who is a lock to be a first-round pick in the June 23 draft according to the mock drafts, is only taking part in measurements and interviews in Chicago. He will not play in any scrimmages.

Mock drafts include Agbaji, Braun

Agbaji and Braun have been included in several of the mock drafts that were updated Wednesday following Tuesday’s NBA Draft lottery reveal on ESPN.

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony predicts Agbaji will be taken No. 15 overall by the Charlotte Hornets. Charlotte also has the 13th overall pick in the draft.

“While the frontcourt will surely be an area for improvement this offseason, adding depth on the wing should also be a priority, as starting small forward Gordon Hayward is often injured and backup Kelly Oubre Jr. is entering the final season of his contract. Enter Agbaji, one of the best shooters in the draft who looks like a relatively plug-and-play, 3-and-D prospect who comes off a national championship in which he won the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player award,” Givony wrote on Wednesday.

“The fact that he’s already 22 may make him even more attractive to the Hornets, who are clearly looking for immediate results after surprisingly firing head coach James Borrego,” Givony added.

Givony predicts Braun will also be a first-rounder — the No. 28 pick of Golden State.

“The Warriors’ luxury tax situation makes it imperative they find contributors on cheap rookie-scale contracts, something they’ve proved capable of doing with several shrewd picks. Braun looks like a plug-and-play wing who brings lockdown defense, passing ability, excellent rebounding and is a career 38% 3-point shooter in college,” Givony wrote. “His lack of ballhandling and a slow release on his jumper lowers his ceiling somewhat, but Braun is exactly the type of role-playing, two-way wing many NBA teams are actively seeking these days.”

Givony did not include Wilson or McCormack in his mock draft update on Wednesday.

Yahoo Sports’ Krysten Peek predicts Agbaji will be selected No. 12 by Oklahoma City.

“Agbaji is the perfect example of what can happen when a player returns to school and continues to develop for the next level. He tested the NBA waters twice, listened to the feedback from teams, returned to school and now is a projected lottery pick. If the Thunder pick Holmgren (Chet, Gonzaga) with their first pick, Agbaji is a guard who is a little bit older and can bring in immediate experience to this young OKC squad,” Peek wrote Wednesday.

She predicts Christian Braun will be the first pick of Round Two (31 overall) to Indiana. Yahoo Sports believes Wilson will be taken No, 52 overall by New Orleans. Thus far, this is the only draft that has included Wilson in Rounds One or Two.

Netscoutbasketball.com has Agbaji as the No. 14 overall pick to Cleveland and Braun the 12th pick of Round Two, 42 overall, to the New York Knicks.

CBSsports.com’s Gary Parrish predicts Agbaji will be selected at No. 7 overall by Portland.

“I’m higher on Agbaji than most simply because I don’t understand what’s not to like about a 6-5 athlete who is a plus-defender on the wing and excellent three-point shooter,” Parrish wrote. “Once you get past the top-tier prospects in this draft, the Kansas All-American makes as much sense as anybody and would provide Damian Lillard with a new teammate equipped to help from Day One.”

Parrish believes Braun will be the No. 25 pick of Round One to San Antonio.

“Braun is a wing with size who can guard his position, reliably make jumpers and finish in transition. He’s the type of prospect who could flourish in the culture San Antonio has established,” Parrish wrote.

Bryan Kalbrosky of USA Today’s For The Win has Agbaji being selected by Chicago at No. 18 overall.

“After winning a collegiate national championship, Kansas senior Ochai Agbaji has placed himself firmly on the radar as a projected top 20 pick in the NBA Draft. Like with Iowa’s Keegan Murray, drafting Agbaji is a move to add someone who can help your team win immediately. The Bulls saw instant contributions from a rookie in Ayo Dosunmu last season, and they could do it once more by adding Agbaji to their rotation,” wrote Kalbrosky.

He predicts Braun will be selected as the 10th pick in round 2 by Minnesota.