Highlights & Scouting Report on New West Virginia Center Harlan Obioha

Taking a deeper look at the newest Mountaineer.

UNCW's #55 Harlan Obioha drives inside as UNCW took on Georgia Southern Friday Nov. 8, 2024 at Trask Coliseum in Wilmington, N.C. KEN BLEVINS/STARNEWS | KEN BLEVINS/STARNEWS / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It's been a while since the West Virginia Mountaineers had an athletic 7-footer on its men's basketball roster and it just so happens that is the first thing new head coach Ross Hodge was able to land in the transfer portal.

Late Sunday night, the Mountaineers gained a commitment from UNC Wilmington big man Harlan Obioha, who picked WVU over offers from Cincinnati, Rutgers, Mississippi State, Texas, Wake Forest, Wichita State, and several others.

So, what exactly does Obioha bring to the table? Below are his highlights followed by our own scouting report on the newest Mountaineer.

Highlights from 2024-25 season

Evaluation

As proven evident in his 63% shooting percentage, Obioha is an elite finisher at the rim. When you're shooting the ball at that high of a clip, most of your shots are coming from three to five feet of the basket, which happens to be the case here. Many of his points come off of dunks, tip-ins, and putbacks, but also has a nice little hook in his bag of tools that he'll utilize from time to time.

One of the first things you'll notice is how well he moves for a big man. You wouldn't believe he's listed at 280 pounds by how quick he is and how fast he gets downhill in P&R actions. He's a steam locomotive barreling down the paint that no one wants to stop when he comes rolling off the screen. The combination of his size and quickness led to some opposing players making business decisions and it's obvious on film.

He didn't get thrown in pick-and-rolls a ton at UNCW, but I expect that to increase during his one and only year in Morgantown. Anytime you have a big guy that can move like that, you'd like to be able to create mismatches and possible miscommunication in P&R coverages.

The one other quality that stands out is his knack for understanding where the ball is going to come off the rim on a missed shot. He averaged 2.5 offensive rebounds this past season, many of which resulted in easy points for him with tip-ins and putbacks. He can steal you an extra two or three baskets per game, just by simply knowing where to be.

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