Zeke Nnaji's top five performances as an Arizona Wildcat

Nnaji's time in Tucson comes to an end

Zeke Nnaji ended any speculation about a possible return to campus as the Arizona Wildcats forward thanked fans and declared for the NBA Draft in a personal statement Tuesday.

The Pac-12 Freshman of the Year had a stellar campaign where he led the team in scoring with 16.1 points per game, 8.6 rebounds and shot 57% percent from the field, though his shooting percentage was in the 60’s up until the final stretch of games. 

Nnaji exceeded all expectations early in the year and then continued his impressive play throughout the season, marking one of the bright spots for the Wildcats in an otherwise inconsistent year. 

As a final send off for the ever-emphatic Nnaji, let’s look back at his top performances of the season.

Feb. 15 at Stanford

Stat line: 21 points, 11 rebounds 6-10 FG, 9-12 FT, 2 steals, 28 minutes

The result: Arizona 69, Stanford 60

The impact: Even though Nnaji didn’t overpower the Cardinal offensively as he dealt with foul trouble throughout the night, the forward found ways to impact the game in different ways. Nnaji excelled from the foul line and on the glass against Stanford, leading the Cats to their first Pac-12 road sweep of the season.

March 5 vs Washington State

The stat line: 21 points, 7 rebounds, 9-15 FG, 3-4 FT, 32 minutes

The result: Arizona 83, Washington State 62 

The impact: Nnaji’s 15 shot attempts were his most in a single game as a Wildcat and he made the most of his high volume with 21 points in the blowout win — the most he scored since the Stanford win. Nnaji had a dominant first half with 14 points, then Mannion took over in the second half with 15. It was also Nnaji’s 10th and final 20-point game of the season.

Dec. 21 vs St. John’s

Stat line: 24 points, 11 rebounds, 8-10 FG, 8-10 FT, 2 blocks, 37 minutes

The result: St. John’s 70, Arizona 67

The impact: Despite the loss, Nnaji led all players that night in scoring and had 13 of the 24 points in the second half. The Wildcats were down by as many as 15 in the second half, but mounted a comeback behind Nnaji and teammate Nico Mannion to take the lead late, though St. John’s went ahead again in the final minute of play. 

Jan. 16 vs Utah

Stat line: 24 points, 8 rebounds, 9-12 FG, 5-6 FT, 29 minutes

The result: Arizona 93, Utah 77

The impact: The Wildcats rebounded after losing three of their last four heading into the matchup and routed the Utes in McKale. Though Max Hazzard’s outburst six 3-pointers grabbed the headlines, Nnaji tied Hazzard with a team-high 24 points and scored 13 in the second half. It also marked the first time during the season that Zeke had back-to-back games with 20+ points.

Nov. 14 vs San Jose State

Stat line: 26 points, 11 rebounds, 8-8 FG, 8-10 FT, 1 block, 21 minutes

The result: Arizona 87, San Jose State 39

The impact: Nnaji’s career high at Arizona game just three games into the season at home against San Jose State. The freshman had made 18 of 24 shots in his first two games, then didn’t miss a shot against the Spartans. Nnaji was aggressive enough around the basket to draw plenty of foul calls as well. What’s under-appreciated about this performance is that Nnaji outscored the other four Arizona starters who combined for just 19 points and did it in only 21 minutes of action.