When the Ivies meet the NBA

When Ugonna Onyekwe first came to Penn, some speculated that he would be the first player from the Ivy League to leave college early for the NBA Draft. While Onyekwe has waited for the draft and will graduate in May, the draft apparently has also waited for him.

"I think after his performance in Boston, he's established a lot of consideration as a second round pick," an Eastern Conference scout said.

In Boston's FleetCenter on a national stage, Onyekwe was dominant against Oklahoma State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. While the Quakers fell, 77-63, to the Cowboys, the Penn senior was nothing short of spectacular, scoring 30 points on 10-for-16 shooting against one of the top defensive teams in the nation.

"He's probably as good as any player we have in our conference and we have some good ones in the Big 12," Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton said said of the two-time Ivy League Player of the Year after the game. Kansas senior forward Nick Collison, an All-American, plays in the Big 12 and is likely to be a first-round pick.

Despite the tournament game, questions remain about Onyekwe. The London native played power forward at Penn and was frequently bigger and stronger than the players he dominated in the Ivy League. Rarely did he face anyone close to his athletic ability in Ancient Eight play.

Even against power conference teams, he has not faced NBA-level power forwards.

"Oklahoma State was not a test of his ability to score inside against NBA players," the scout said.

At 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds, Onyekwe would be a slender power forward by NBA standards.

"He's not big enough or strong enough to play the four [power forward] in the NBA," the scout said. "He could be like a lot of kids who get stuck between the positions, between the three [small forward] and the four."

Onyekwe would have to adapt his game to make the transition to small forward in the pros. While he played effectively in the mid-range area against the Cowboys, he would still need to improve his ball-handling skills as well as his jump shooting to make it as a three at the next level. There is some question as to whether he could do this.

"I just don't know if he can put the ball on the floor well enough... to play the three," the scout said.

Onyekwe would be the first Ivy League player to be drafted since Penn guard Jerome Allen -- also a two-time Ivy League Player of the Year -- was selected with the 49th pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Allen's college backcourt mate, Matt Maloney, while undrafted also signed a pro contract with the CBA after graduating in 1995. Maloney went on to sign with the NBA's Houston Rockets and started all 82 games as a rookie in 1996-1997 due to several team injuries. He signed a seven year, $17 million contract before the 1998-99 season. Maloney currently plays for the Atlanta Hawks.

"I think he's comparable to those two [Maloney and Allen]," the scout said. "I think those kind of guys were second-round picks. If they don't make it in the NBA they have a very nice European pro career, which is what Allen is doing now. Maloney hit the jackpot in the NBA, in terms of his contract."

While Ivy Leaguers do not frequently make an impact in the pros, Onyekwe had been viewed as an exceptional talent since early in his Penn career.

"He was definitely on the radar [before the tournament]," the scout said. "The NBA had known of him. All 29 NBA teams had seen him play, probably more than once."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.