The commitment of Osayi Osifo to the 2020-21 is a unique one for Florida fans as it gives them the opportunity to do something they haven’t done in recent memory—watch the progress of an incoming JUCO recruit. Justin Leon was the last JUCO player to come to Gainesville but he came during the coaching change with Mike White so there wasn’t an opportunity to track his production leading up to his time with the team.
Osifo committing to the Gators before his second and final year at Eastern Florida State College allows us to see him in action as he prepares to make the jump to SEC basketball. Only starting to play organized basketball within the last 5 years he’s far from a finished product and the Gators are predicting growth in his game and a player that will flourish during his time in Gainesville.
Having already played in 11 games so far this season I’d say it’s time to take a look into how his season is going.
Stats
23.7 Minutes
10.5 Points
7.0 Rebounds
0.5 Steals
0.4 Blocks
54.4 FG%
66.0 FT%
Offensive Game
Right now Osifo is mostly used in the dunker spot, standing on the weak side of the floor near the baseline where he can be ready to catch and drop off pass and finish with a dunk. An astonishing 35.7% of his shots have come off cuts near the hoop so right now as an offensive player he’s pretty much just someone who can be a play finisher around the rim. His athleticism and length is strides better than almost anyone that has guarded him and he’s been able to put down some powerful dunks at the rim.
His next-most shots are taken on offensive rebounds which have accounted for 17.4% of his attempts. Once again you can chalk this up to his superior athleticism at his current level, but he’s at least doing what you’d expect him to and dominating the boards.
In terms of offense he’s creating he’s taken a decent amount of post ups but hasn’t done particularly well shooting 37.5%. Unfortunately, he’s also turned the ball over on an equal 37.5% of his post up possessions whether it be due to sloppy footwork resulting in a travel or collapsing defenses resulting in an errant pass.
As it stands he hasn’t registered an assist yet this season and the touch for passing and vision to see the floor is clearly still developing.
Another area he’s still growing is when it comes to shooting the ball. Before the season he talked about being a shot maker but that hasn’t yet been the case as he’s yet to hit a three, taking only 4 attempts from three so far in the season. His 66% free throw stroke is an improvement from the sub-50% number he was shooting last season and hopefully that’s an indicator that his touch is improving.
Defense
With Osifo’s 6’8” height with a wingspan of over 7’0” and excellent athleticism you’d expect him to be dominant defender but that hasn’t yet been realized. He’s been a decent defender but not an overwhelming one that has dominated that side of the floor.
On multiple possessions he missed rotations and allowed easy buckets and even when he was near the hoop he wasn’t positioned well and allowed layups. He’s currently allowing 60% at the rim, quite a high number for someone who is going to need to be a plus defender when he comes to Gainesville.
In pick and roll coverage he found himself lost on a few occasions, perhaps something that could be chalked up to a miscommunication with his teammate who was defending the ball.
As a post defender he has remained stout and it was tough for opposing players to get shots up against his length. Osifo isn’t particularly thick but no one was able to really knock him off his spot to create space for a post move and overall he has been a strong post defender.
Takeaways
Osayi Osifo is still really raw and he has a ways to go if he’s going to contribute to the Gators next year. Obviously next season is still a long time from now and Osifo will improve but watching him right now it’s a bit hard to project where he’ll fit as an SEC forward. Offensively he doesn’t bring anything other than a lob threat from the dunker spot and he hasn’t shown himself to be a great defender that can make up for not bringing much on the other end. His frame and athleticism are unmistakable and those are the building blocks for a good basketball player and there is definite upside there if his skills can get polished and his understanding of the game continues to grow.
One thing that was unmistakable about Osifo was his motor. He’s clearly a hardworking guy who is trying to develop his game and there could be a breakthrough in the next few months as he continues to get reps. They’ll be plenty more games to see him play and I’ll be watching closely as the future Gator puts in work.