January 30th

As both the most underrated center and the most underrated NBA draft prospect in the country, there are multiple layers that make Najai Hines great. It’s difficult to address all of them within one write-up, so this rendition of his player profile will focus specifically on his interior dominance. After all, how could that not be the starting point for Division I’s most dominant interior presence?

Through 19 games, Hines has translated the tremendous rim protection he displayed throughout EYBL. His 7.3 blocks per 100 possessions rank in the 100th percentile, meaning no one in the country blocks more shots than him on a per-possession basis. His 17.1% block rate, a statistic that adjusts for opponents’ shooting profiles, also ranks 1st in the nation. On top of that, Hines pulls down 23 rebounds per 100 possessions, a mark that ranks in the 97th percentile. Defenders who simultaneously protect the rim and pull down defensive rebounds at an elite level are rare and tend to be longtime NBA players. No player in the country, regardless of class, even comes close to Hines’ intersection of elite shot blocking and rebounding. Najai Hines is doing this as a freshman, and in the Big East. It is not normal for a freshman to be this physically dominant in such a difficult conference, and it is the foundation of what makes Hines such a great center and NBA prospect.