NBA draft stock watch: Arizona's Christian Koloko has the makings of a great defensive pro

Arizona Wildcats big man Christian Koloko is one of the highest risers in recent mock drafts and big boards and it is very easy to see why.

When Arizona did their athletic testing in 2019, Koloko measured with 6.0 percent body fat on his 7-foot frame. Those are both noteworthy but it was his 9-foot-3.5 inch standing reach and 7-foot-5 inch wingspan that stood out.

This season, he looks more fluid than ever and he has led Arizona to an undefeated start to the season.

Overall, his box plus-minus (16.4 percent) ranks second-best among all players in the nation. The big man is averaging 1.32 points per possession, per Synergy, which ranks in the 98th percentile among all D-I players.

When you look at his play breakdown on Synergy, you’ll see how he has gotten the job done. He is a remarkable 10-for-11 (90.9 percent) when cutting to the basket and 10-for-14 (71.4 percent) when posting up. He is also 7-for-10 (70.0 percent) out of the pick and roll.

He has made a living on offense by dribbling into his hook shot in the low post, which has been an efficient scoring method for him. Meanwhile, only six players have recorded more dunks than Koloko has (17) thus far.

Koloko had no trouble scoring against 7-foot-1 center Hunter Dickinson when Arizona played Michigan, which helped him secure MVP honors at the Roman Main Event tournament in Las Vegas.

He probably won’t get as many opportunities to post up defenders at the next level. But without a doubt, Koloko has the makings of someone who is a force to be reckoned with near the basket as he has the profile of an NBA-caliber lob threat and rim runner.

However, even though his offense has taken a massive step forward, it is his defense that really stands out when you watch him on the floor.

During the minutes that Koloko has played, according to Pivot Analysis, opponents have an embarrassingly low effective field goal percentage of just 35.9 percent.

His presence alone has actually played a role in opposing shot profile, too.

During the minutes that Koloko has not played, opponents have taken approximately half (49.4 percent) of their shots at the rim. However, when he is on the floor, that number is just 40.4 percent.

Thanks in no small part to his massive impact, Arizona has the best defense in the nation against 2-pointers. Even crazier: The average D-I offense has scored 1.08 points per possession at the rim, per Shot Quality. But U of A is allowing a league-best 0.76 PPP at the rim.

Overall, opposing teams have had a slight chance against the Wildcats in transition. But when trying to beat them in a set offense, they have scored just 0.63 PPP. As you could imagine, per Synergy, that is also the best mark among all D-I teams.

Watch any highlight from Koloko this season and you can see why Arizona’s defense has excelled:

For example, look at how much ground Koloko can cover from when the lob is first thrown on the alley-oop to when he actually records the block.

Playing every bit the part of an elite rim protector, his block percentage (14.9 percent) recurrently ranks as the fourth-best among all high-major underclassmen. But the tape looks even better than the numbers do.

He has been exceptional in drop coverage as a help defender and he has blocked shots with the force of the most dominant volleyball spike you can imagine.

Koloko is more than just a rim protector, though. Opponents are shooting just 2-for-17 (11.8 percent) on jumpers while defended by Koloko, per Synergy.

They can’t beat him one on one, either. They are 2-for-9 (22.2 percent) when trying to take him in isolation and 1-for-5 (20.0 percent) when attempting to post him up.

Even though players at the next level are tougher to defend than his collegiate competition, it seems fairly obvious Koloko is someone who is going to be a solid professional big man in the NBA.