Springfield’s Aminu Mohammed Might Hear Name Called in 2022 NBA Draft

Aminu Mohammed, perhaps the greatest high school basketball player to come through southwest Missouri, hopes to hear his name called during Thursday night’s NBA Draft.

The draft begins Thursday at 7 p.m. on ESPN.

After a season at Georgetown, Mohammed kept his name in the draft after some impressive performances in the NBA Draft Combine in addition to numerous practices with different teams in the league.

Nearly every false draft from league tipsters has Mohammed undrafted, but there’s always hope he’ll hear his name called at some point in the second round. Mohammed has an NBA-ready body at 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds. He’s a willing defender, but his offensive abilities aren’t widely considered NBA-ready when it comes to knocking down shots from far to the rim.

Not being drafted would allow Mohammed to find the best situation for him and sign with this team. There would certainly be interest in him if he reached the open market once the second round was over. More and more athletes are choosing to turn pro and then grow into the G League if they’re not drafted.

Aminu Mohammed of Greenwood shoots the ball during the Blue Jays 74-72 win over Kickapoo in the Willard Basketball Classic championship game at Willard High School on Saturday, December 5, 2020.

If Mohammed is not chosen, look for a two-way contract to offer him. A two-way contract allows players to play most of the season in the G League and no more than 45 days with their NBA team. Two-way players receive a corresponding daily amount based on the number of days they play in each league.

Players can also sign 10 piece contracts which are essentially invitations to training camp. The contract gives a franchise the option to convert it into a two-way deal, but the team needs to make sure that happens before the regular season. Offers are generally not guaranteed. The team will control the player’s G League rights and the player is entitled to a $50,000 bonus if they spend more than 60 days with the G League affiliate.

Only a handful of Southwestern Missouri basketball players have ever been selected in the NBA draft.

Here’s what the media is saying about Mohammed’s chances of being selected.

What are the national media saying?

Georgetown Hoyas guard Aminu Mohammed (0) drives over Xavier Musketeers guard Colby Jones (3) in the first half of the NCAA men's basketball game, Saturday, March 5, 2022, at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati.

Few scouting reports have been written on Mohammed due to the assumption that he will not be picked in the first round and may possibly go undrafted.

General ranking of players by outlet

  • Laundress Report — 47
  • Athletics – 52
  • NBADraft.net — 61
  • ESPN—73
  • Sports Illustrated — 90

The Athletic Draft Guide — The website went into the analysis of how 70% of Mohammed’s shots went to the basket or off post-ups. Teams know that Mohammed is likely to attack the rim, so they prepare for it. Of the 398 college basketball players who shot more than 100 times on the rim last season, Mohammed’s shooting percentage was last.

Mohammed said he’s been working on his 3-point shot to stretch his game. He’s been the best athlete on every court he’s walked on most of his life, but that won’t be the case at the next level.

Georgetown Hoyas guard Aminu Mohammed (0) celebrates with Georgetown Hoyas forward Collin Holloway (23) during the Big East Conference game against the Butler Bulldogs, Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022, at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The website describes Mohammed as a lesser Luguentz Dort, the Oklahoma City Thunder swingman who made his living as a defensive player in the league with limited offensive play. Athletic have said they would like to see Mohammed get a two-way deal, but they also believe Mohammed should have returned to school for another year.

NBA.com via RotoWire— “If the forward is focused on improving his efficiency, he should get the NBA’s attention in the second round of the draft.”

Launderer’s Report – “The defensive tools and toughness will give him a chance to stick. The hope will be that he offers enough value as a transitional weapon and a potential threatening shooter. He made 38.9% of his jumpers to catch and pull.”

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Aminu Mohammed celebrates after a foul gave the Greenwood Blue Jays control of the ball with seconds on the clock during a game against Greensboro Day School at the Bass Pro Shops Tournament of Champions at JQH Arena on Friday the 17th January 2020.

With whom would Aminu have worked?

  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Milwaukee dollars
  • Washington Wizards
  • Sacramento Kings
  • Chicago Bulls
  • Atlanta Hawks
  • San Antonio Spurs
  • brooklyn nets
  • Minnesota Wolves
  • Portland Pioneers
Greenwood Blue Jay Aminu Mohammed carries the ball for a basket during the Class 2 State Championship game against the Oran Eagles at JQH Arena on Saturday March 9, 2019.

How have you been since the end of your season?

“Since the end of my season, everything has pretty much come together in Dallas and improved my game in those NBA practices. I’m just trying to get my shot.”

What are you trying to improve the most right now?

“My main focus has really been my 3-point shooting. He’s improving. The shooting is still there, it’s just more consistent with him. I think he’s improved a lot, but to become a better shooter, a lot of it takes time and repetition. It doesn’t take a day or two – it takes a long period of time. Even over a short period of time, it has improved, but there will still be work to be done. do to be this guys at the end of the day.”

Greenwood's Aminu Mohammed drives down as Kickapoo's Anton Brookshire chases after him during the Gold Division Championship match in the Blue and Gold tournament on Monday December 30, 2019.

You have a wingspan of 6 feet 11 inches. How does it help you on defense and is it something you like to be proud of?

“Defense is something I’m proud of. Watching basketball, I want to play a role like Marcus Smart for the Celtics. He plays defense, he can guard. He shoots whenever he’s available. That kind of role is something that I see I feel like defense can get me where I’m trying to go no matter what I feel like if I’m able to “Going out there and keeping multiple positions, I think that’s going to make me more valuable in addition to the things that I can also do offensively. I think there will be a lot of opportunities.

What would it mean for you to be drafted on June 23?

“It will mean a lot, not just to me but also to the kids back home in Nigeria who want to play basketball. I think it would inspire those kids to go with the intention of playing basketball. not about me it’s really about those other kids who are back home trying to get to the states to fulfill their dream of playing basketball I’m just a face to them that they can see and understand that they can also do the same.”

Aminu Mohammed of Greenwood shoots during the Blue Jays quarterfinal game against Hartville at Republic High School on Saturday, March 7, 2020.

What Mohammed did in Georgetown

Mohammed was Georgetown’s leading scorer as a freshman. He was the highest rated signing head coach Patrick Ewing had ever landed.

He led the Hoyas with 13.7 points and 8.7 rebounds and was the only player to start all 31 games for a team that went 6-25 overall and 0-19 in the Big East. He scored a season-high 27 points at Creighton in February and was named to the Big East All-Freshman team.

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What Mohammed did in Greenwood

Mohammed was a five-star prospect and dominated the Ozarks basketball scene for three years after moving to the area his sophomore year.

Mohammed led Greenwood to a sophomore state championship with a pair of blue and gold tournament titles. He was named McDonald’s All-American and Missouri’s Gatorade Player of the Year after his senior year.

He finished his preseason career with 3,219 points and 1,478 rebounds.

The USA Today Network contributed to this report.

Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist for the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email at [email protected] or Twitter at @WyattWheeler_NL. He is also a co-host of Sports Talk on Jock Radio weekdays from 4-6 p.m.

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