Obinna Anochili-Killen Scouting Report
His eye-popping measurements at PIT added to the intrigue of his draft profile. But what makes Obinna Anochili-Killen a realistic NBA rotational big wing? Here's all you need to know:
Obinna Anochili-Killen (#25, Marshall): Senior, 6'8"
Small Forward/Power Forward — Born: Sep 27, 2001 (23 years old)
Introduction
As a fifth-year senior, Anochili-Killen led the Sun Belt Conference in effective field goal percentage (58.0%) and blocked shots (3.2) that earned him Defensive Player of the Year and All-Conference honors. His career has seen improvement in each season, where he continued to add to his role. As a play-finisher and interior defender, Anochili-Killen had to embrace his role as a forward. However, his defensive traits and developing three-point shot will put him in the archetype of a big wing with role versatility once he enters the NBA.
The production only counts for a small portion when NBA scouts want to see if he can grow into one of the most-coveted roles in the league. It’s realistic to see Anochili-Killen grow in the next season, while there are clear areas of development, especially on defense. His need for growth to stick in the league forms the emphasis of this scouting report.
Physical Profile
At 6’7.75” in shoes, Anochili-Killen offers elite length with a mind-boggling 7-foot-4 wingspan. He’s a quick-twitch athlete with broad shoulders, but with his frame, he can catch up in the next few years. He’s measured at 224 pounds and is a great athlete vertically. His long strides and fluid hips add tons of mobility, which continues to feed the role-versatile wing mold that NBA teams seek via the draft.
He has a quick second jump, which made him one of the best shot-blockers at the mid-major level this season. On top of that, Anochili-Killen plays with toughness and aggressiveness, which continues to add to the defensive style of his profile. He has big hands and a long-standing reach, which adds to his positional versatility as he can switch to fives despite lacking a few inches.
Offense
Closeouts
Anochili-Killen has the potential to develop into a closeout scorer on top of his elite play-finishing. The numbers above show far above-average finishing ability, where he’s gaining leverage with the athleticism as mentioned above, and excellent length. Despite Anochili-Killen’s reliable touch around the basket, he’s often struggling to create looks by putting the ball on the floor. Regardless, there are many flashes of positive development that NBA scouts would like to further develop.
Anochili-Killen plays as an undersized forward in college. But in his role in the NBA, he will complement a team’s five-out scheme by playing more on the perimeter. Therefore, he must improve as a closeout scorer. His quick-twitch athleticism and decent ball skills form the base to make further improvement feasible. The first main part is to pass from the advantage he creates. In the first play below, Anochili-Killen has to kick the ball out to the elbow shooter, as a wide-open three is worth more than him finishing his hook. Recognizing the right shots and prioritizing those will be the area of development.
In the second possession, Anochili-Killen shows creativity by hesitating moves before his dribble penetration. He recognizes the weak side driving lane well but fails to pivot properly on his last step, leading to the unbalanced jumper from the mid-post area. Instead of shooting, he should always aim to put his shoulder into the defender and finish through contact, which will make it more likely he’ll, at worst, earn free throws from his closeout play.
At 70.1% on over five attempts per game, he’s a reliable finisher on that end. He shows his foul-drawing skill in the third play below. Another smooth body movement before he bursts inside the lane. However, his value from closeout plays is underwhelming. Anochili-Killen plays with a lack of composure when looking to attack the rim. His tunnel vision led to him again not kicking the ball out in the fourth play below. That’s an area of priority for NBA scouts to focus on.
Catch-and-shoot
While shooting 32% on low volume for two straight seasons, there’s shooting potential in Anochili-Killen’s draft profile. The focus should be on his shot process, as the numbers aren’t relevant, considering the smaller sample size. His role at Marshall focused on the frontcourt. Therefore, the volume shouldn’t be something NBA scouts think about. There’s an improvement to be reached in the next few years for Anochili-Killen as a shooter.
At the Portsmouth Invitational, Anochili-Killen embraced his corner shooting much more than he did at Marshall. He’s setting his feet quickly; that’s a positive. But his lack of shooting experience leads to improbable things like slow reversed pivots or taking too long before powering up for his shot. The process is consistent, but it needs to be more fluid if he wants to develop into a volume shooter, which is a must for wings who embrace role versatility in the NBA. The jumper of the catch is their leverage.
In the first play below, Anochili-Killen does well to move toward the ball and shows fluid hips before he brings the ball back to 180 degrees from the basket after the catch. But it’s clear he’s following a shooting script to keep his process consistent. The positive is bringing the ball to his chest rather than powering up from his waist. That’s a positive, as Anochili-Killen has the strength to pull up without dipping the ball much. However, to ensure durability, Anochili-Killen has to lessen the pressure on his elbows. He’s reaching out too far when catching the ball instead of holding the ball closer to him to ensure a fluid L-form that becomes a V. Another habit that needs work is Anochili-Killen using one dribble after the catch. The third play shows an example. A play-finisher of his caliber has good hands, but this doesn’t apply to his ball placement when shooting threes.
With a consistent process, Anochili-Killen has to quicken the process up and embrace low-dipped shots at the next level. That’s one of the potential differentiators among his peers, which will add intrigue among NBA front offices.
Cutting game
His high-efficiency finishing around the basket gives Anochili-Killen his M.O. on offense. With incredibly fluid hips, he’s using his great timing and fakes to create wide-open angles. He’s finishing 73.0% of his attempts, excluding dunks. This number is sustainable when considering how he gets his advantages. The level of detail in footwork, hip placement, and reliable touch makes him one of the best interior finishers in college basketball. For the NBA, his non-reliance on strength makes it more intriguing, as he’ll adapt more easily while facing stronger defenders at the next level, as the touch, craft, and decision-making are the main selling points in his play-finishing.
At over five attempts from the charity stripe, Anochili-Killen uses deception to get himself to the line. He’s finishing at 70%, which is good. In the first play below, we see an example. Obinna Anochili-Killen strongly pivots out far and maintains his balance. Hereafter, he’s pump-faking his opponent while immediately diving for the arms to try and get an and-one out of the play. In the second possession, Anochili-Killen is the recipient of the dropoff pass and has a body in the air on his left. This didn’t take anything from his composure, as he brought the ball down and simply bet on his length and touch to finish over the defender with the hook. That’s one of his top consistent finishing methods in his scoring arsenal.
However, Anochili-Killen struggles with his hands at times. The third play shows an example. He fumbles the ball after bringing it down after a high catch via the baseline out-of-bounds play. It’s because of a combination of a bad last step and simply not securing good enough ball placement. At times, Anochili-Killen is slow in his duck-ins as well. In the last play below, he should immediately dive with his head down to power back up when seeing the incoming defender. Instead, he complicated the finish by going with the up-and-under. At this phase, it’s nitpicking one of the best traits. But the main idea here is to ensure NBA scouts that he can improve on areas where it’s more feasible, he’ll secure keeping a team’s offensive rating at par with him on the floor.
Passing, ball-moving, and playmaking
At 28 assists to 40 turnovers per game, the numbers don’t tell the story. Anochili-Killen is an excellent ball-mover who makes quick decisions. His style of easy passing and angle recognition fits the motion offenses that NBA teams try to run more often. Everything starts with footwork for Anochili-Killen. In the first play, he immediately deceives the help defender with strong footwork after the post-entry pass. He’s placing his feet in a way that it’s almost certain a spin and seal is next. However, he’s kicking the ball out when help commits enough. Executing basic reads by using his footwork is something for Anochili-Killen to hang his hat on at the next level.
In the second possession, Anochili-Killen does well to immediately survey the floor after he sees the entry pass in transition coming his way. The execution was basic and nothing special, but the value added for him was immediately surveying the floor before the catch. Thinking ahead is vital to succeed as a passer in a game that’s played at a higher pace. In the third play, Anochili-Killen takes away the defense’s rotation by immediately bringing the ball down as if he attacks via the post-up. That put all attention on him, which made the quick kick-out above the break much easier to execute.
Quick decision-making and craft with his fakes make Anochili-Killen potentially much more creative as a passer. The hesitancy to shoot was to force a driving lane on that closeout in the corner. By attacking the baseline, Anochili-Killen collapsed the defense, which made the lob pass even sweeter as a finish of his playmaking read.
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Defense
Closeouts
As a closeout defender, Anochili-Killen’s quick-twitch athleticism has the most value on the perimeter. With long strides, he can attack every perimeter scorer, with his excellent length and processing speed as a continuous disruptor. That’s the role versatility NBA scouts seek from today’s ‘modern’ NBA wing, who’ll get the task of defending against multiple positions. Despite the physical tools, Anochili-Killen still has some areas to work on at the next level. As of now, these add pressure to a team’s defensive rating, and thus, it harms his draft value more than the physical potential might compensate for.
In the first play below, Anochili-Killen is a second too late to recognize the rotation, but compensates well. His last step is decent but not automatic. The way he places his pivots, it’s clear he’s thinking about it during the action. Therefore, he has to build a certain rhythm. The positive is that he moves his hips well to switch to his other foot before contesting the one-dribble three. The second play shows an example of one of the main areas of development: not leaving the interior when closing out. Despite him hunting the steal with the pass in the air, the reason Anochili-Killen gets beaten off the dribble is that he’s landing right before the ball handler while not in balance. That’s a recipe for getting blown by and the interior defense collapsing.
In the third play, Anochili-Killen pivots decently, but he’s too reactive to what the ball handler does. He’s getting shaken out of balance before the crossover hits him, again collapsing the interior defense. His physical profile must demand that he forces ball handlers to beat him rather than responding to what creative scorers try to do. His improvement as a closeout defender is a mentality change instead of Anochili-Killen not having the skills.
Catch-and-shoot
As a closeout defender against spot-up shooters, Anochili-Killen has his length to rely on to compensate for rotational mistakes. That has been a consistent factor for him, which won’t pass the test from NBA scouts. At times, Anochili-Killen processes the game too slowly, and that’s not a good sign for him playing a faster-paced and motion-based style of play at the next level. That’s something he must clean up if he wants to see consistent minutes in the NBA.
Regardless, there are more issues. At under six rebounds per game in back-to-back seasons, Anochili-Killen shows an underwhelming return. That’s because he doesn’t box out consistently. In the first play below, there’s an example of a late rotation and not following up on the deep three in the box-out that led to an offensive rebound. In the second play, Anochili-Killen follows the play much better, reaches the elbow on time, and uses his length well in the shot contest. But the bothering part is that he doesn’t box out or immediately pop in transition. Anochili-Killen stands there. Those are small details prospects often face at the mid-major level. NBA scouts must help him develop a better feel for the game at the next level.
The positives in the third play are Anochili-Killen following up the corner shot contest with a quick second jump. That’s a physical trait that helps him secure a better hedge when falling for fakes. However, he can be too aggressive, using his length at times. The foul on the three-point shooter in the last play could have been avoided if he hadn’t gotten so close to the shooter. His toughness will be embraced, but he has to be smart and tough, rather than fully take the bait of opponents luring physical contact and then jumping into his arm. At 3.3 personal fouls in 26 minutes, bad fouls have been a factor for Anochili-Killen this season.
Pick-and-roll
At 3.2 blocks per game, Anochili-Killen is one of the top shot-blockers in college basketball. But he has to improve his feel for the game as a defender to continue to bank on his shot-blocking in the NBA. That’s his main trait as a pick-and-roll defender. Anochili-Killen can switch and serve as the secondary defender who’ll mainly play drop coverage. His goal is to not get lured outside while using his length to respond to pull-up shooting. As a secondary rim protector, teams get their needed boost to their defensive rating. But Anochili-Killen is often baited outside the lane. That must get better in the NBA.
In the first play, Anochili-Killen has the closeout and steps out too far. That got him burned while he avoided the screen on the way back. His vertical pop and length led to the blocked shot. NBA teams aren’t fully buying blocked shots from behind, as taking away dribble penetration is the main objective. In the second play, Anochili-Killen drops coverage and takes the switch immediately. He’s not dropping too far as he closes the angles and makes the ball handler beat him before seeing the opportunity to use his length and collect the steal.
That’s what NBA scouts want to see. His showing it at the Portsmouth Invitational is an important trait. But during the college basketball season, Anochili-Killen was caught with a combination of passiveness and stepping too far out or falling back too much. In the third play, he drops his coverage too far, allowing a wide-open midrange jumper after the ball handler comes off the drag screen. In the fourth play, the jab step and ball fake got Anochili-Killen biting, and he got caught in mid-air. An elite rim protector should always prioritize defending that lane rather than be lured away from the paint because that’s what the opposing scouting report tells the ball handler to do. The feel for the game on that end isn’t at an NBA level yet, which is his main area of development for the next few years.
Cuts and team defense away from the ball
For the NBA, team defense is Anochili-Killen’s calling card. He’s showing flashes of great floor awareness, but the other side of the coin is that he’s getting baited out of position against motion around him. The first part adds tons of value to his draft profile, but the second part takes it all away. A good feel for the game and composure are two essential intangibles to succeed as a defender. NBA teams are hesitant to hand rookies minutes because they fear how much it will affect their defensive rating. On the other hand, NBA teams must help Anochili-Killen develop a better base for his decision-making. The flashes of his top team defense should make it more feasible that he can grow in this role in the next few years.
Flashes like the first play below from the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament show why. He’s the five in this play and immediately rotates after the roll man got hit after diving to the rim in the pick-and-roll. He’s well-aware of the dropoff pass to his original assignment underneath the rim. The smooth hip fluidity and good vertical pop led to the stop while he was facing a two-to-one position in which Anochili-Killen had to respond. But the other side of the coin is that Anochili-Killen can lose his focus. In the second possession, he didn’t gave his assignment it needed in the baseline out-of-bounds play, getting the cut and dunk against him. In the third play, Anochili-Killen thought about rotating as he thought the elbow would get hit with the pass. Instead, he bailed the passer out by losing his man on the backdoor cut. These mistakes negatively affect a team’s defensive rating. Therefore, NBA teams would rather have Anochili-Killen develop further via the G League while getting accustomed to the speed of the game.
NBA Draft Projection
Based on the strengths and areas of development mentioned in this scouting report, I project Obinna Anochili-Killen to be an undrafted free agent in the 2025 NBA Draft. However, his physical traits, elite play-finishing, and mold of a modern wing with role versatility will have teams pursue him in the two-way contract market. He’ll be a depth piece with the opportunity to come in and play a reduced role, but before that happens, he must improve his feel for the game and decision-making on the defensive side of the ball. That’s the vital part he’ll have to prove during team workouts.