EUDORA, Kan. — Ochai Agbaji spent three hours teaching the game of basketball to approximately 100 fourth- to eighth-grade boys and girls Tuesday at Washburn coach Brett Ballard’s hoops camp at Eudora High’s gym.
One of Kansas’ most popular players, Agbaji was in his element, interacting with the campers on the one-week anniversary of his decision to remove his name from the 2021 NBA Draft and return to KU for his senior season.
“I made the right decision to come back,” Agbaji, a 6-foot-5 wing out of Oak Park High, said after signing autographs with KU teammates Christian Braun and Cam Martin.
“I want to get the most out of this year, as in rings, championships, Big 12 championships or tournament championships, national championships, stuff like that — things I got a taste of my sophomore year. I really wanted more. I’m really hungry for that, too.”
The Jayhawks went 28-3 during Agbaji’s sophomore season, won the Big 12 regular-season title and were primed to enter the NCAAs as the overall No. 1 seed before the entire postseason was wiped out because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last year, KU went 21-9, placed second in the Big 12, exited the Big 12 tourney after one victory because of COVID-19 restrictions, then went 1-1 in the NCAA Tournament.
“I felt good with all my testing,” Agbaji said of testing at the NBA Combine in late June in Chicago.
He also worked out individually for the New Orleans Pelicans, Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors.
“I learned myself that it’s a business — that professional league is a business,” he said. “There’s a lot more mentality-wise than just being physical because everyone has the same talents, everyone has the same gifts. It’s mentally challenging more than anything. That’s something I learned (by testing the waters).”
Agbaji — he averaged 14.1 points and 3.7 rebounds a game a year ago with 56 assists against 41 turnovers — was considered a possible second-round pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.
After this season, his goal is to be a first-rounder.
“Hearing that stuff … you hear different things every year,” Agbaji said. “Like my freshman year, when I came out of my red-shirt (during season) you hear, ‘Oh yeah he’s on the draft boards now.’ You hear a lot of stuff. Really you just have to focus on winning games because at the end of the day success for everybody is success for me too.”
Agbaji said NBA officials “really didn’t tell me much,” of what he should work on his senior season.
He does have something in mind.
“Keeping my body in better shape, being able to last longer so I can play better,” the 215-pound Agbaji said. “I feel like late in the second half, sometimes late in the first half when I’ve been in a while I kind of get tired, make those mental mistakes, don’t hit that shot, have a turnover here. If I’m in better shape I can feel more confident going into games because I’m ready for that.”
Agbaji, Jalen Wilson and Remy Martin all will be playing for KU this season after removing their names from the draft pool last week. The Jayhawks also return David McCormack and Christian Braun as starters alongside Agbaji and Wilson, and have brought in experienced transfers Remy Martin, Cam Martin, Jalen Coleman-Lands and Joseph Yesufu.
Also new are four highly regarded freshmen: K.J. Adams, Zach Clemence, Bobby Pettiford and Kyle Cuffe.
“Really good,” Agbaji said, asked what type of team he expects KU will have this season. “I mean just by potential, but we haven’t even started working yet. We haven’t got Remy here yet but once we get him here and we start going (with the injured McCormack and Pettiford returning to action this week) I think it’ll be fun.”
Agbaji will room with Remy Martin at McCarthy Hall.
“Being at the point guard spot, him having the experience he’s had at Arizona State (four years) and playing in the Pac-12 averaging 19 a game … he knows how to score the ball and also create for others. He can go get his own and put pressure on the defense that way too,” Agbaji said.
Agbaji said he likes the freshman class.
“I think it’s going to be fun, teaching a lot of hungry guys,” Agbaji said. ”That’s all you can ask from young guys, be hungry.”
Agbaji, by the way, said he has fielded a couple calls from companies or individuals wanting to contract with him on name, image and likeness opportunities.
“Even now I’m not really focused on it,” Agbaji said. “I know it’s going to come. Probably when school starts or the season starts, Late Night or something like that. I’m kind of just waiting for stuff that I want to do, stuff that I like to promote if anything.”
He said it’s been “good to be back,” in Lawrence — and Eudora — the past several days after being out of town putting all of his effort into the NBA Draft.
“Meeting all the new guys seeing a lot of new faces … it’s been a good time,” he said.
