Sagaba Konate puts end to rumors, returns to West Virginia
Morgantown, WV - After months of speculation, West Virginia big man, Sagaba Konate will indeed withdrawal his name from the 2018 NBA Draft and return to West Virginia for his Junior year.
Konate had a very strong showing at the NBA Combine. He posted four blocks and tested very well in the drills. "Konate protected the rim extremely well, huge energy, best on-court celebrations in the draft,” said DraftExpress’ Jonathan Givony.
As the combine concluded, stats were released on how everyone performed and Konate found himself at the top of many of those lists. His standing vertical leap of 31.5 inches, tested out as the best among all centers who participated.
Keep in mind how impressive this is as Konate measured in at 6'6" 1/2 without shoes and out-jumped guys who are 6'10" or taller. He also finished in the top five in four of the six shooting drills as well, which is something Mountaineer fans have to be excited about. Konate adding a little more range to his offensive game can add another dimension to his already impressive offensive skill set.
According to many NBA executives and scouts, they believe returning for another year could potentially help Konate's stock. It could potentially turn him into a lottery selection or a top 2o pick. As a junior, Sagaba averaged 10.8 points per game, 7.6 rebounds per game and was top three in the nation averaging 3.2 blocks a game.