A two-time All-Ivy League honoree and the 2021-22 Ivy League Player of the Year, Tosan Evbuomwan left Princeton as one of the best players in school history. As a senior, Evbuomwan averaged 15.1 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 4.9 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.6 BPG, and 2.9 TOPG on splits of 51.5/32/65.5. Below is his full scouting report:
Name: Tosan Evbuomwan
Height/Weight: 6’8/215
Wingspan/ standing reach: 7’1 ½/8’9
Hand size: 10 ¼
Position: Forward
Pre-Draft team: Princeton
Tools: Frame, playmaking, versatility
Pros:
- Mismatch playmaker as a somewhat point forward
- Sees the floor well; can pass out of the short roll, drives, post-ups, etc
- Great frame; long arms, big hands, and strong enough to take NBA contact
- Likely versatile on the defensive end
- Good feel for the game
- Has a good runner
Cons:
- Needs to become a more prominent, consistent shooter
- Doesn’t finish above the rim much off of his own creation
- Lacks off the dribble shooting; relies too much on one-hand push shot
Swing Skills:
- Jump shooting
- Adaptation to the NBA
Summary:
Tosan Evbuomwan is an intriguing forward with great measurements and playmaking skills, with growth as a jump shooter. However, there are elements of his game that can reduce his likelihood of translating up to the NBA.
The risk with Tosan Evbuomwan is that while he has good tools physically, he looked outmatched against Creighton on the defensive end, and didn’t dominate weaker competition despite having superior physical tools. He was only an average finisher at the rim, and didn’t finish above the rim enough away from rolls and cuts, which is alarming for someone that will need the ball in his hands in the NBA. He also did not lock Ivy League ball-handlers up in the way an NBA prospect should in an inferior conference. However, defensively he still should be able to hold his own and become versatile in guarding primary ball-handlers, wings, and some forwards.
One element as a playmaker that remains mysterious for Evbuomwan is that he was very rarely a P&R ball-handler; just over one time per game according to synergy. How he performs off of screens will heavily dictate how real his passing will be and how it will translate to the next level. Given that he can pass out of isolation sets and post-ups so smoothly, he should be able to do the same out of screen sets with NBA spacing.
However, the main area that Tosan will be able to hang his hat on is playmaking. In three NCAA Tournament games as the 15 seed against Arizona, Missouri, and Creighton he had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 18:4, which is an elite 4.5 assists to every one turnover in that small sample size. Given his size, his generally limited-mistake playmaking will be a strong trait to hang onto, while either being able to become a great defender or slasher/cutter/finisher to stick in the NBA. The big obstacle for Evbuomwan as a playmaker is that he will not be the first option he was at Princeton, which restricts his playmaking ability out of him creating isolation. Instead, he will have to learn to still have the same playmaking impact as an off-ball threat most likely, while passing within the flow of the offense instead of out of mid-post isolations.
How Tosan adapts his game to the NBA play style, and how long it takes for him to do so, will be key for him lasting in the NBA. He has the tools to be a Scottie Barnes lite off the bench, but will need to relentlessly work on his jump shot or become a lockdown defender to have a tangible skill to fall back on beyond his frame.
Similar to: Scottie Barnes, Boris Diaw, Dalano Banton
Projected draft range: 45-undrafted
Expected role: Versatile utilityman
Unplayable if: Lack of jump shooting limits him, and if his lack of domination against inferior competition prohibits his game from scaling up to the NBA.
Exceeds expectations if: Feel for the game, size, and playmaking allow for his game to translate and slip into a role more than the literal scouting report of area-by-area suggests.
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