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Wesley Iwundu

Wesley Iwundu profile
Drafted #33 in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Magic
RCSI: 249 (2013)
Height: 6'7" (201 cm)
Weight: 193 lbs (88 kg)
Position: SG
High School: Westfield High School (Texas)
Hometown: Houston, TX
College: Kansas St
Current Team: Vechta
Win - Loss: 15 - 8
Wesley Iwundu 2017 NBA Draft Scouting Video - Strengths

Articles

Wesley Iwundu NBA Draft Scouting Report and Video Analysis

Mike Schmitz
Mike Schmitz
Matt Williams
Matt Williams
Jun 12, 2017, 06:52 pm
Among the most improved players in the Big 12 last season, Kansas State wing Wesley Iwundu took a significant step forward this season, helping Bruce Weber's Wildcats, who won just five conference games in 2016, to a number of marquee wins and an improbable NCAA Tournament berth.  An x-factor offensively for a Kansas State team with a number of capable scorers but no true first options, Iwundu lifted the Wildcats to a different level on his best nights offensively and earned All-Big 12 Third Team honors, averaging 13 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game, making an impact with his versatility on both ends.

Iwundu's intrigue at the next level starts with his impressive physical tools. Though he's still on the lean side, and lacks a degree of lower body strength, weighing just 193 pounds, the Houston native possesses terrific size and length for a wing, measuring just under 6'7 in shoes with a 7'1 wingspan at the NBA Combine.  A fluid athlete with good quickness and solid leaping ability, Iwundu certainly looks the part of an NBA swingman.



Iwundu's size and versatility allowed him to play a fairly unique role for a player still coming into his own offensively.  Doing the majority of his scoring handling the ball in the pick and roll and pushing it himself in transition, the 22-year-old functioned as a de facto point guard of sorts alongside the Wildcats' aggressive scoring guards, as Kansas State didn't rely on any one playmaker this season.  Using only 16% of his possessions in Spot Up situations last season according to Synergy Sports Technology, among the lowest marks for shooting guard or small forward prospects in recent memory, Iwundu was a bit passive at times from the perimeter, due in large part to his improved, but still inconsistent jump shooting.

Making just 19 of his 66 three-point attempts over the first three years of his collegiate career, Iwundu connected on 38% of the 85 he shots from distance he attempted as a senior.  Showing improved confidence and making shots at a strong rate off the catch in limited attempts, but a below average one off the bounce, Iwundu wasn't particularly aggressive looking for his shot off the ball, struggled through a major mid-season slump, and has a lot of room to grow as a floor spacer even with his development as a senior.  Shooting the ball with spotty footwork and a decent, but sometimes inconsistent release, Iwundu's ability to grow into a more reliable, prolific shooter will be paramount to his long-term fit at the NBA level.  

Attacking the rim, Iwundu's length and long strides allowed him to turn the corner and score at a nice rate inside, but his lack of freakish explosiveness limited his ability to score in traffic. His just-decent touch hampered him at times as well.  Shooting a respectable 58% in finishing situations in the half court, Iwundu lacks much in the way of advance ball handling ability and struggles at times against pressure, but finds success as a slasher changing speeds off of basic spins moves and crossovers, showing a comfort level attacking with both hands.  

Able to exploit his size to find the open man over the top of the defense, Iwundu flashes nice vision in the pick and roll and in drive and dish situations, averaging an impressive 4.5 assists per-40 minutes pace adjusted last season.  Not always taking the ball strong to the rim and turning the ball over carelessly at times, Iwundu has plenty of room to grow as a playmaker, but has a good framework to build off.  



As effective as Iwundu was offensively last season in spurts, he lacks a degree of polish and assertiveness on the whole, which was evident in his inconsistency throughout the year and struggles during the competitive portion of this year's NBA Combine.  The senior's passing ability and comfort level playing on the ball are a plus, but his underdeveloped midrange game and limitations as a shooter raise some concerns about what kind of role he'll be able to play offensively at the next level.  Making marked improvements from his junior to his senior year in a number of key areas, there's room for optimism regarding Iwundu's skill level as he's a bit of a late bloomer, but he'll have to become a more confident shooter to reach his potential as a pro. 

Defensively, Iwundu's size, length, and energy allowed him to defend multiple positions at the college level.  Lacking a degree of physicality, it will be interesting to see how Iwundu fares against stronger wings at the next level.  He looks tentative against more imposing slashers, but his lateral speed allows him to defend both guard spots effectively for stretches given the size advantage he usually enjoys at both spots.  A terrific rebounder for a wing who has quick hands defending on the ball, Iwundu brings a lot to the table on the defensive end.

A competitive player who does a lot of things well, but perhaps nothing at a consistently elite level, Iwundu has a lot to offer as a role-player, but won't be able to unlock the rest of his game until he's able to keep the defense honest with his perimeter jump shot.  Conceivably a candidate to contribute with his ability to handle, pass, shoot, rebound, and defend from either wing spot down the road, consistency and polish are the name of the game for Iwundu moving forward, as he has an intriguing framework of skills, but nothing he can really hang his hat on at this stage. Still, players in his mold are extremely in vogue in today's NBA, making him a project worth investing in for a team picking in the second round.

Wesley Iwundu NBA Pre-Draft Workout and Interview

Matt McGann
Matt McGann
May 01, 2017, 11:33 am
A video of Kansas State senior Wesley Iwundu working out in San Diego with Clint Parks Skills Academy. Iwundu was interviewed by Julian Applebome. The video was produced by Matt McGann.

Matchup Video: Wesley Iwundu vs Kansas

Ryan Thomson
Ryan Thomson
Jan 18, 2017, 04:14 pm
Ryan Thomson takes a closer look at Kansas State forward Wesley Iwundu's performance against Kansas.



Ryan Thomson is a video analyst for DraftExpress. Follow him on twitter and check out his DraftExpress Video Archive. He will be breaking down the NBA draft in digital format all year long for us.

Wesley Iwundu Shooting Mechanics Analysis 2015-2016 to 2016-2017

Corey Porter
Corey Porter
Dec 03, 2016, 11:46 am
Corey Porter takes a closer look at the changes in the shooting mechanics of Kansas State wing Wesley Iwundu from last season to this, as well as the early results.

Top NBA Draft Prospects in the Big 12, Part Eight: Prospects 14-17

Julian Applebome
Julian Applebome
Jeremy Bauman
Jeremy Bauman
Jacob Eisenberg
Jacob Eisenberg
Ryan Thomson
Ryan Thomson
Sep 28, 2016, 04:23 pm
Julian Applebome

Senior Wesley Iwundu will be an integral piece of a Kansas State team that looks to bounce back from a disappointing season in which they finished 5-13 in Big 12 play, and missed the NCAA Tournament for a second straight year after five consecutive appearances from 2010 to 2014. A late bloomer out of Westfield High School in Houston, standing just 5'10 as a sophomore, Iwundu was a rather unheralded recruit who received only a few high level Division I offers, but has since turned himself into a dynamic player with intriguing professional upside.



From a physical perspective Iwundu definitely passes the eye test. At 6'7” with a plus wingspan (possibly around 7'1), and an excellent frame that will continue to fill out, Iwundu has the physical tools to play either wing position at the professional level, and has the athletic ability to match his physical profile. He moves fluidly in space, has a quick first step, gets off the floor well, and has the ability to finish above the rim. He has the upper body strength to finish through contact, but his lower body is a bit on the thin side, somewhat limiting his verticality in traffic. It's possible that as his lower body strength improves, he could improve his just-decent explosiveness to form a terrific package of overall physical tools.

What stands out about Iwundu offensively is his playmaking ability from the wing position. He was one of only two players in the Big 12 last season to average more than 4.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds per-40 minutes. A major share of his half-court offense was centered around him being the ball handler in pick and roll situations. He is very comfortable handling the ball with either hand, and has a variety of shifty dribble moves including an in and out crossover that he uses to get by his defender. Iwundu is adept at handling ball screens for a player of his size, and does a good job keeping teams off balance by rejecting screens, and tilting the defense into difficult rotations. He uses his size well to make passes over the top of the defense, but also does an excellent job finding the open man once he has gotten into the paint and caused the defense to collapse. His turnover numbers (3.6 per 40, 21% TO%) are on the high side, but is somewhat to be expected from an aggressive player who handles the ball as frequently as Iwundu does. He is aggressive getting downhill, and flashes some impressive footwork on spin moves getting to the rim. Once he has gotten to the rim, he does a good job creating contact around the basket and averaged 5.8 free throw attempts per 40, but lacks consistency finishing at the rim when he is not able to initiate contact. He only finished 51% percent of his half-court field goal attempts inside the paint, (per Synergy Sports Tech) a number which you would like to see much higher given his size and physical profile.

While he's made significant improvement since arriving on campus at Kansas State, Iwundu can continue to refine his advanced ball-handling skills, as he isn't always quite in complete command of the ball on some of his drives to the rim, leading to some very difficult looks. He isn't blessed with outstanding touch, nor overwhelming explosiveness, to compensate for this, and tends to favor his right hand even when he's on the left side of the basket.

Despite Iwundu's unique playmaking skills for a player his size, he has yet to show that he possesses consistent perimeter shooting skills, which significantly limits him in the half-court at times. As a freshman he made a career high seven 3-pointers on just 17 attempts from deep, but has fallen off drastically the last two seasons, and hit only 12 of his 49 attempts from beyond the arc as a sophomore and junior. Iwundu's struggles as a shooting threat are not solely limited to his catch and shoot abilities. He shot only 3 for 21 on jumpers off the dribble last season, and showcases mechanics that need serious refinement. He releases the ball from the left side of his body, bringing the ball across and often looking extremely off balance on his attempts. He appears to lack confidence in his jump shot, opting not to take open looks and rarely being ready to shoot on the catch. He was quoted this summer in the media saying he has completely reconstructed his jumper, and has put in significant work on this part of his game, so it will be interesting to see if he gets better results as a senior. An improved jump shot would go a long way for Iwundu, if he forces defenses to respect his shooting ability, only opening up more playmaking lanes for the versatile swingman.

Voted to the 2016 Big 12 All-Defensive Team, a significant part of Iwundu's potential rests on his versatility on this end of the floor. With his size, length, and mobility, Iwundu has the tools to defend guards and wings, and can occasionally switch on to some small-ball power forwards, even if struggles with bigger and stronger players. He's an effective and aggressive on ball defender who averaged 1.7 steals per-40 last season, but also picks up some unnecessary fouls away from the basket which you would like to see him eliminate if he moved his feet more and relied less on his length. He shows some lapses off the ball at times, getting caught out of a stance, putting himself in difficult close out situations that he can only sometimes make up for with his length.

Iwundu is an effective rebounder from the wing position on both ends of the floor. He uses his length and athleticism well to attack the glass and is quick off his feet seeking second chance opportunities on the offensive boards. He is very effective grabbing rebounds and pushing the pace in transition, and is able to find a good deal of his offense in the open court by putting pressure on the defense with his ball handling, vision, and ability to get to the rim.

Wesley Iwundu's senior year will be an important one, as he looks to build on a solid junior season and get his name solidified in the NBA draft conversation. He has shown a great deal of potential as a playmaking wing with defensive versatility, but in order to boost his professional stock, he'll need to show an improved jump shot and continue to play with more efficiency on the offensive end of the floor. As the senior leader, he'll have ample opportunity to show NBA personnel that he has the overall skill set to match his physical profile. He appears to have significantly more upside than your average senior, and looks like a player who will continue to improve into his 20s due to his late blooming status out of high school. It shouldn't surprise anyone if a NBA team decides to invest in him to see if they can continue to refine his skill-set and try to develop his jumper due to the extreme lack of wing players in Iwundu's mold we're currently seeing available to teams.

Top NBA Prospects in the Big 12, Part 8: Prospects #17-20

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Kyle Nelson
Kyle Nelson
Joshua Riddell
Joshua Riddell
Sep 16, 2014, 01:12 pm


Jonathan Givony

A completely unheralded recruit according to the high school scouting services, Wesley Iwundu nevertheless emerged as a valuable contributor for Kansas State as a freshman, starting 32 of 33 games and playing 24 minutes per contest.

Iwundu stands out as a prospect primarily due to his physical attributes, as he has excellent size for a small forward at 6-7 to go along with a long wingspan and a nice frame that should fill out well in time. He's a very good athlete on top of that, showing solid quickness, good fluidity, and the ability to get off his feet quickly to attack the rim ferociously with a strong vertical leap.

Iwundu is a fairly limited offensive player at this point in time, seeing most of his possessions playing off the ball for Kansas State as somewhat of a hybrid combo forward charged with running the floor in transition, moving off the ball, crashing the offensive glass, and shooting the occasional jump-shot. He scored a relatively paltry 11 points per-40 minutes, and not on amazing efficiency, but shows some nice sparks of potential at times thanks to his terrific physical profile, soft touch, and solid basketball IQ.

His quick first step allows him to attack the basket in a straight line when given an open lane, where he can finish with authority or draw fouls at a solid rate, but his rudimentary ball-handling skills limit him significantly as a shot-creator in the half-court. His pull-up jump-shot is rather crude as well, as he made just 4 of his 18 attempts of this nature as a freshman and 63% of his free throw attempts. He doesn't force the issue, though, as he appears to be a willing passer with a solid feel for the game.

Iwundu's jump-shot shows potential with his feet set, as he knocked down a handful of catch and shoot jumpers last season in Big-12 play, displaying decent mechanics and nice shooting touch. He's still working on becoming more consistent in this area, though, as his release is somewhat on the slow side and he's prone to shooting on the way down at times when rushed. He obviously has a ways to go in this area, but shows just enough potential here to lead you to believe he can develop this part of his game in time, something that will play a significant role in how he's perceived as a NBA prospect down the line.

Iwundu's calling card at the moment revolves around his play on the defensive end, where he's already fairly effective and shows excellent potential to continue to improve. His excellent size, length, mobility and timing allows him to guard multiple positions, as he moves his feet well, does a great job staying in front of opponents and contests shots impressively on the perimeter. Iwundu needs to get stronger and gain more experience, as he can get taken advantage of at times by older players, but he has all the makings of a very solid and versatile piece on this end of the floor.

It's a bit early at this stage to be making too many observations about Iwundu's long-term potential as a NBA prospect, as he's still making the transition to being a full-time wing player and has a skill-level that is very much a work in progress. With that said, he has some very interesting characteristics that bode well for his future, so it will be interesting to see how he continues to improve as a sophomore and beyond.

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