[The following scouting report is part of a series on potential 2024 draft prospects from Sports Business Classroom alumni.]

Jonathan Mogbo
Frame: 6’6″, 217 lbs
Position: Forward
Team: San Francisco Dons
2024 Draft Age: 22
Stats via www.sports-reference.com and www.barttorvik.com

Offense

Mogbo is a double-double machine who plays much bigger than his height and functions as a dribble-handoff hub (DHO). He loves to operate from the elbow area, where he can face up, attack the basket, and finish with both hands. Mogbo can finish with both hands through spin-moves, pivots, post-hooks and dump-offs to the dunker spot. He always runs the floor hard and plays volleyball on the offensive glass if defenders don’t put a body on him (3.3 offensive rebounds per game). Mogbo is a good screener and rolls hard to the basket, finishing with brute strength and athleticism. He can beat his man off the dribble and fake the DHO into a drive, catching the defense by surprise. Mogbo has good hands and a large catch radius, making him effective at finishing lobs. He shoots a blistering 74.1 percent at the rim, which is better than most centers, with 59.9 percent of his field goals assisted. He creates many of his looks in the paint via post-ups, face-up attacks, floaters and offensive rebounds.

Mogbo is an excellent passer with a strong feel for his position; he thrives off the short roll, finding cutters and open shooters around the perimeter (3.6 assists to 1.8 turnovers per game). He can grab the rebound, initiate the offense in transition, and execute hit-ahead passes to open teammates. His entry passes are always on point and at an angle where the defender can’t reach it. Mogbo is a solid ball-handler and is fluid with his dribble combinations, although sometimes he can get ahead of himself and dribble through two defenders or be loose with the ball. He needs to improve his touch around the basket; often, he misses easy bunnies when he moves or off the offensive rebound. 

Mogbo is a non-shooter at this point of his career, aside from a mid-range or baseline jumper here or there (31.3 percent on non-rim two-point attempts, up 13 points from last year). His free-throw shooting has dramatically improved (69.6 percent on 3.1 attempts, up 26 points from last year). His stroke is not bad, but he has a long way to go before defenders respect him. Mogbo attempted two three-pointers in his college career, both being halfcourt heaves. He wasn’t as effective against the best teams in the West Coast Conference.

 

Defense

Mogbo often guards players taller than him and does an excellent job of bodying up down low and fighting for position. He has a chiseled frame and does his work early, establishing position and fronting his man, denying the entry pass. Mogbo can be disruptive in the passing lanes with his monstrous 7’2″ wingspan and is good at deflecting interior passes (1.6 steals per game). He is an elite rebounder and shows tremendous effort on the glass (10.1 rebounds per game). Mogbo moves well laterally and slides his feet well enough to hang with guards on the perimeter. He is strong and quick enough to guard multiple positions at the next level.

Since he is undersized, bigger players can finish over him, and quicker players can beat him off the dribble. He can sometimes get lost in rotations, and sometimes, he gives up open layups of threes because he was out of position and miscommunicated with his teammates. Mogbo needs to improve his pick-and-roll coverage; he is often late to recover to his man or messes up a switch. He is not a great shot blocker (0.8 per game), but he has good verticality and recovers well. He struggles with quicker guards despite moving well laterally; the speed is not always up to snuff when chasing around a quicker player.

Looking Ahead

Mogbo’s situation and fit will be critical at the next level; he needs to go to a team with plenty of shooting around him to thrive. Coaches will love his tenacious rebounding, effort and ability to create plays on the short roll and as a DHO hub.

Teams will try to expose his shooting. He must use his opponent’s lack of respect for his jumper to his advantage, whether attacking off the dribble or initiating DHOs with shooters with the available space, a la Draymond Green. There will be questions about what his best position is. In the right matchup, he can play some small-ball 5 with certain personnel—Mogbo projects as a second-rounder in the NBA Draft.