Head-to-Toe Breakdown of Final Four Superstar Jahlil Okafor

This year's Final Four is loaded with stars who have dominated the college basketball season, but one who stands above the rest is Duke's Jahlil Okafor.

According to 247Sports, the 6'11", 270-pound center was the No. 1 prospect in the 2014 class, and he has not disappointed in his first year at this level. Okafor led the Blue Devils with averages of 17.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per game while being named first-team All-American by the Associated Press. 

Thanks in large part to the big man's play, Duke is back in the Final Four and two games away from winning a national championship. No matter what his team does, however, it seems extremely likely this will be his last week at the college level before moving on to the NBA.

As a potential top pick in the 2015 draft, it is important to examine what makes him such a strong prospect heading into his final collegiate games.

Strengths: Size and Low-Post Moves

Anyone who steps on the floor at Okafor's size is going to be a mismatch in college. There are few defenders in the nation capable of handling the physicality of the center, and this alone with his athleticism would have likely gotten the attention of scouts.

Of course, what really separates Okafor and fellow freshmen who play the position is his polish at his age. While most low-post players come into college and even the NBA extremely raw on the offensive end, the Duke star is already an elite scorer in the paint.

Not only can Okafor score as part of the Blue Devils offense, but at times he is the offense. If you give him the ball on the block one-on-one, there is a very good chance he will be able to score.

The center has also improved to the point he doesn't even need to post up to be successful. Matt Norlander of CBS Sports captured two plays against San Diego State in the round of 32 that showed what Okafor can do:

In both instances, the player got the ball on the perimeter and beat his defender to get off an easy look. With the NBA game being more open in the middle, these types of moves will go a long way.

Okafor's ability to create easy looks at the basket is also a reason he is among the best in the nation with a 66.8 field-goal percentage. This efficiency for someone who creates his own looks is truly impressive.

Add in his offensive rebounding ability (his 14.8 offensive rebounding percentage is among the best in the nation, according to KenPom.com), and Okafor is truly a force on that end of the court.

College basketball has not seen too many back-to-the-basket centers over the past few years. Okafor is a throwback player with the size, toughness and pure skill to get it done in the post against almost any defender.

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

Weaknesses: Defense and Free-Throw Shooting

One would think a player with such a size and strength advantage over many opponents would be a dominant force on defense as well. Unfortunately, Okafor has been relatively inconsistent on that end of the court.

While the center does average 1.4 blocks per game, opposing teams have been able to get points in the paint way too often against the star player.

ESPN draft analyst Chad Ford broke down the issue after talking to NBA scouts:

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The bigger issue, however, is Okafor's continued mediocre defensive play. He doesn't play with the urgency of other elite players on the floor and it's scaring NBA teams a bit. He's clearly the most polished offensive big man to come along in a while. But will he have the motor and toughness to do the job on both ends?

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On the plus side, Duke has improved greatly as a team on the defensive end during the NCAA tournament. Although Justise Winslow deserves the most praise for this turnaround, Okafor has also improved his play.

This doesn't answer questions about his motor or consistency, but it will be good to see he is at least capable of stepping up defensively when it matters.

Of course, then there is always this as an issue:

Okafor shoots just 51.1 percent from the free-throw line and is seemingly getting worse. Over his last 11 games, the freshman is just 15-of-46 from the charity stripe, which equals an embarrassing 32.6 percent.

There have obviously been successful NBA players who struggled at the line like Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard, but they can be a major liability late in games if opponents decide to intentionally foul.

If this is a mental issue, Okafor better figure out how to fix it before it gets out of hand.

Intangibles

Another one of Okafor's strengths that you don't see in the box score is his feel for the game. When he gets the ball on offense he simply knows what to do with it, whether that means taking a shot or passing out.

Too many players his age get into the post and put their head down, often leading to a turnover or a forced shot. As ESPN's Miles Simon noted, this is one freshman who doesn't do that:

Considering the center has likely faced double-teams since he was in seventh grade, he knows how to handle them. He does a good job of passing the ball out and finding the open man, even if he doesn't always get credit for the assist.

Head coach Mike Krzyzewski recently explained the player's value to the offense, per ESPN's John Gasaway:

Although he would likely face fewer double-teams at the next level, his ability to handle any situation is a major plus. No matter where he plays next season, he should help that team get the most out of its offense.

Bob Leverone/Associated Press

NBA Role and Draft Outlook

No matter when he declares for the NBA and where he is picked in the draft, Okafor should have a successful professional career. The 19-year-old's offensive skills in the post are almost unmatched at this level, and this should translate directly to success at the next level.

Although he hasn't quite developed a jump shot yet, his skill set gives him the upside of an NBA All-Star with similar styles to Al Jefferson or even Tim Duncan. No, he isn't quite at this point yet, but the potential for big things is there.

Whichever team takes him should expect to plug him into the rotation immediately and watch him develop into a franchise center to build a squad around.

That said, Okafor has seen his stock fall slightly in recent weeks. After being projected as the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft all year, Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns has caught up and even passed him on lists, according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress:

Both CBS Sports and ESPN have also recently moved Towns above the Duke star.

One concern was Okafor's struggles this past weekend as he was held to just six points against Utah and nine points against Gonzaga. Against bigger defenders like Jakob Poeltl and Przemek Karnowski, the freshman failed to match his usual production. 

Meanwhile, Towns has displayed a more well-rounded game lately with outside shooting and better defense. Although he doesn't have the post moves of Okafor, his potential might be even higher.

Still, there is no reason Okafor should drop any lower than No. 2 in the draft, where he will make some team very happy for at least a decade.

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