ESPN breaks down UK Basketball's Pro Day measurements

Photo by UK Athletics

Before last night’s Pro Day, UK handed out a book of measurements to the NBA personnel in attendance, and, as expected, Hamidou Diallo’s were the most impressive of the bunch. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony broke down the numbers (which were recorded BEFORE last night’s broadcast) and Diallo had the best max vertical jump (44.5 inches, same as at the NBA Combine), the fastest 3/4-court sprint, and the fastest shuttle time. Which NBA player would Givony compare Diallo to based on measurements alone?

Diallo’s top physical comps in our historical database are Nick Young, MarShon Brooks and KJ McDaniels. Taking into account just his athletic testing results, Diallo compares favorably with the numbers posted by Zach LaVine at the 2014 NBA combine, besting him in most categories while weighing 20 pounds heavier at the same age.

Photo by UK Athletics

While Diallo stole the spotlight, Givony notes that P.J. Washington was also very impressive, finishing with one of the top wingspans and max verticals.

P.J. Washington may have been the biggest star of the Kentucky combine in terms of numbers alone. He actually measured slightly shorter without shoes (6-6 barefoot) than he did in previous settings, but he compensates for that and then some with a gigantic 7-3 wingspan. He also appears to be in good shape at 9.7 percent body fat while weighing 234 pounds, a few pounds less than he did in June. While Washington isn’t really known as a high flyer, he actually bested Diallo in the standing vertical at 35.5 inches (ranking in the 98th percentile historically), while his 43-inch max vertical ranks in the 99th percentile historically. Washington’s top three physical comps in our historical database are pretty flattering: Kawhi Leonard, Draymond Green and Carmelo Anthony. Taking into account his athletic testing results brings up the name Rudy Gay as his top comp.

Other notes from Givony:

• Nick Richards’ NBA comparison is Willie Cauley-Stein, which is something you’re going to hear time and time again this year, especially if Richards’ offensive game takes some time to develop as expected.
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s measurements suggest he’s more of a power forward than a combo guard:
  • “While his height didn’t change (6-6 in shoes), he received more favorable measurements in terms of wingspan (7-feet) and standing reach (8-9), both of which are more reminiscent of a power forward than of a combo guard. What that means is Alexander should comfortably be able to defend any of the backcourt positions, even small forwards, although he’ll have to continue to add weight to his lanky 182-pound frame to do so.”
• Wenyen Gabriel weighed in at 205 lbs., five pounds less than last year’s combine, and has a 5.9% body fat.

Read more at ESPN Insider. UK will release an updated list of measurements with last night’s results later today.

#UKProDay Flow#EmbraceDreams 😼🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/ASbFFrWElL

– Kentucky Basketball (@KentuckyMBB) October 9, 2017