The future of Cliff Omoruyi could well be decided in the next couple of weeks. Coming off another strong season at Rutgers, Omoruyi could opt to declare his intentions for the NBA draft or announce a return for one more season of college basketball.
It is certainly a nuanced decision for Omoruyi, brimming with potential and upside who has also shown steady, significant growth over the past three years at Rutgers.
This past season as a junior, Omoruyi averaged a career-high 13.2 points per game. His field goal percentage was down this year, but he saw significant upticks in his rebounding and blocked shots.
But did he do enough to impress NBA teams?
Michael Vandegarde spent 18 seasons as a scout in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers. He took a look at Omoruyi’s last season at Rutgers with an eye to see if he is ready to head to the NBA.
“Cliff is a high-level athlete who has improved each and every year. He has some elite qualities as a college player which include his physical attributes, his defensive presence, his rebounding, and his quick twitch bounce,” Vandegarde told Rutgers Wire on Monday.
“His NBA future is a question mark, as Cliff is limited as an offensive player besides dunks and putbacks.”
Vandegarde is currently involved with CoachTube, an online coaching platform that allows users to get coaching from former and current professional and college athletes across multiple sports.
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In terms of Omoruyi, Vandegarde sees a player who is tough and talented, noting his ability as a defender. Omoruyi played consistently well throughout the season against some of the top post players in the Big Ten, including Purdue’s Zach Edey.
An All-American and a likely first round pick, in two games this season Edey was held below his usual scoring and rebounding average by Omoruyi.
Vandegarde sees the upside in Omoruyi, but thinks the Rutgers center needs more growth and development.
“Also, I am not sure how well he guards the pick and roll and covers smaller players defensively,” Vandegarde said.
“The NBA is all about playing multiple positions and being able to shoot from the perimeter, which are two things he isn’t at this time. Currently, I would not project him as a draft pick and I think staying in school another year is his best option.”
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Story originally appeared on Rutgers Wire