Hidden Gems: Ogbemudia Uagboe deserves a Division-I shot
Future of College Basketball will be promoted in this rubric and for the first opus I had the chance to sit down and talk with Danish guard, Ogbemudia Uagboe.
March Madness is two rounds in, and the transfer portal is open. The college basketball season is at its peak, and for teams that aren’t concerned with postseason play, recruiting season is in full swing.
Every year, players from all over the world fight for finite Division-I roster spots. Ogbemudia Uagboe, a 6-foot-5, 19-year-old combo guard playing for the Danish U18 national team and the Vaerlose Blue Hawks, is one of those deserving international prospects.
Uagboe has been playing high-level professional basketball abroad in the Danish top division. His precocity against pros is intriguing, considering how physically advanced he looked against U18 competition this summer in FIBA EuroBasket.
“I was fat when I was younger, I had to work twice as hard as anybody, show people what could be done through dedication, and then everything just kind of came together at some point.”
Uagboe has great strength for a guard, allowing him to play on- and off-ball. At this point, he’s better off the ball as a still-developing shot-creator and playmaker. One way this off-ball mastery manifests is in his spot-up play, where he’s been excellent as of late, scoring 1.400 points per possession in spot-up scenarios in March.
He is already a great driver with great upside, attacking downhill because of how crafty he is. However, his craft isn’t his only downhill scoring mechanism, as his overall strength enables him to eliminate nearly everybody on his way to the rim.
“I’ve worked a ton on my body; (being) physical played a big part in my development to make driving a threat in my game. I came to the conclusion that most guards aren’t as physical as me. So, that’s their weakness. I want to exploit that. Also, always being the guy that initiates contact plays a big role in my mindset when driving.”
While he isn’t the best over-the-rim finisher, his core strength permits him to finish through contact against anybody while keeping his balance. Core strength is of utmost importance to guards like Uagboe, who can attack angles with speed while not needing to fear contact.
SIGNAL CALLING
Zach Edey isn't allowed to set screens
When the Grizzlies drafted Zach Edey ninth overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, it just made sense. The reigning back-to-back NCAA Player of the Year is a massive 7-foot-4 and 305 pounds with scoring touch around the basket, and above all else, an elite screen setter and roll man.
The 3-point shot is a positive for Uagboe. He’s not quite a knockdown shooter, but he shoots with confidence and has pretty solid shot mechanics. We can see that he puts a ton of work into it and his stats should look better starting next season.
“When you realize that being six-foot-5 isn’t that tall, as a guard, you have to find other ways contributing to the game other than setting up plays and creating opportunities for your teammates. And you know what they say, ‘It's better to practice one thing a thousand times than practice a thousand things one time.’ So, I decided to find the one specific thing that would better my game for the best and then perfect it — my outside shot”
As a handler, Uagboe looks comfortable running offense but still struggles at creating separation on the perimeter. On top of his strength, from his core to his lower body, Uagboe’s upside in this regard again relies on his ability to put the pieces together. He has great tools, like his innate ability to change pace, it just hasn’t come together all the way.
The defensive end might be the most fun part of his game. He covers a ton of ground pretty easily, has quick feet and is a quick thinker. He is also good at applying pressure, holding good players in front of them, and never conceding them any space.
“The main word on defense for me is ‘mentality.’ Having that, ‘I’m gonna kill this guy,” mentality. I’ve played against a lot of good players — Hugo Gonzalez, Egor Demin, Nolan Traoré. Never once was I afraid. That paid off, (and I) held them down, 10 points maximum. Defense is the real battle.”
He’s a great off-ball defender already who reads the offense well and recovers extremely efficiently. He even rebounds the ball well for a guard.
The sky is still the limit as a defensive playmaker, even if he’s already good at it. But the mix between his physical tools and awareness should, and will, produce way more stocks (steals and blocks).
Uagboe would be a great addition to any Division-I team and could really play a big role at a High- or Mid-Major level. We saw last season that the recruitment of European players could mean a lot for teams, from Evan Pozzato at Evansville to Kasparas Jakucionis at Illinois.
The future of college basketball is no longer a domestically-grown product. European players from all over, like Uagboe, have and will continue to, find success in college basketball and will only continue to. While Uagboe has yet to find his home across the pond, there is certainly one waiting for him.