Onyeka Okongwu declares for NBA draft

Saying farewell is never easy, even if you knew it was coming.

It comes as no surprise that freshman phenom Onyeka Okongwu has declared for the NBA draft after just one season with the USC Trojans, and honestly, it’s a great move for him.

While we didn’t get the ending to the season we all desired or deserved, life does go on and sports move forward rapidly. Okongwu is a top prospect for the NBA draft and had this been the days of old, probably never would have set foot on USC’s campus anyways.

Thanks for the ride, thanks for the memories you leave behind after just one season and thanks for the Fight you gave to the Trojans, Big O!

He averaged some gaudy numbers in his lone season at USC as Okongwu grabbed 8.6 rebounds a game, scored 16.2 points and blocked 2.7 shots per game.

His highlight reel includes multiple big-play moments but his ability to get any rebound is something else.

He can also bring down the house.

Okongwu is currently projected to land comfortably within the top 10 of the draft and some publications have him as a top-five pick as well. Standing at 6’9, 245 pounds, Big O has outstanding footwork and is a sharp shooter for his size, hitting 72% of his free throw attempts through 28 games as a freshman. It’s no wonder why he’s considered a lottery pick.

As recent as Wednesday, Okongwu was listed as ESPN’s sixth-best player available for the draft later this summer.

We only got 28 games with you, Big O, but man were they something special.

Thanks for your efforts and as always, #FightOn! Go get ‘em Big O!