Big man Clifford Omoruyi showcased a major talent for crashing the glass throughout his collegiate career. The majority of his career was spent in Piscataway, New Jersey, playing for Steve Pickiell. His extra season of eligibility saw him seek out bigger competition, and he found it at Alabama. He played and started all 37 games for the Crimson Tide while shooting the best percentage of his career from the field. Now, Omoruyi hopes to hear his name called on NBA Draft night.
Clifford Omoruyi 2025 NBA Draft Profile
College Career
Cliff began his collegiate career with the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. He showed a small glimpse of what was to come in his first season in 2020-21. The first season wasn’t as impactful as the rest of his career. That made for a major leap in 2021-22 as Omoruyi quickly put himself into the conversation as one of the best rebounders in the Big Ten. That would continue across the next several seasons. The 2022-23 season saw Cliff finish in the top three in the Big Ten in rebounding, trailing only Zach Edey and Trayce Jackson-Davis. Cliff wasn’t just a major rebounder, as he quickly became a prolific scorer around the rim. He finished as a 10-plus point scorer in three of his five seasons in college.
He was a strong shot blocker as well, even finishing first in the Big Ten during the 2023-24 season. His average of 2.9 blocks per game that season was crazy. After spending four seasons at Rutgers, Omoruyi made the jump south to Alabama. It paid off for him as he helped the Crimson Tide reach the Elite 8. The one-time All-Big Ten player and two-time defensive player in the Big Ten finished his collegiate career with over 1,543 points and 1,174 rebounds. Add in 262 career blocks, and he had a strong college career.
Strengths
Looking at Omoruyi’s NBA Draft chances, he fares pretty well because he can play defense. You can never not have enough bigs that can defend and rebound. Those are by far Cliff’s best attributes. You’re talking about a player who was a career 7.4 rebound-per-game performer. Not to mention, he was an 11th or higher in the Big Ten in three of his four seasons at Rutgers in that category. He also led the conference in blocks during the 2023-24 season. That’s a crazy stat, as the Big Ten also featured Edey and players like Kel’el Ware and Felix Okpara. Frankly, Omoruyi is a block beast. He goes after every rebound and has the size and hustle for that to translate to the NBA. He’s not quite a starting big man, but he will work nicely as a role player down low.
Weaknesses
Omoruyi has no outside game. He’s strictly a post scorer. Sure, he can shoot 70 percent or better from the field, but outside the paint, he’s not a threat. He attempted 36 three-pointers during his five-year career. He made seven shots from deep. That wasn’t even part of his game during his lone season at Alabama. His free-throw shooting got better every year, with his best at 72 percent this past season from the stripe. He’s more of a cleaner on the glass, so he’s not a go-to scoring threat. He’s better at moving without the ball offensively.
NBA Comparison
Omoruyi could easily find himself on a roster in the NBA. He’s not a starter by any means, but his rebounding and defensive ability are what’s going to make him money. Cliff isn’t afraid of bigger centers, and can handle himself against most that will be thrown against him. He compares well to other undersized centers currently in the NBA. He certainly has an Onyeka Okongwu or Tristan Thompson-type game. Omoruyi has the potential to be a steal in the later part of the 2025 NBA Draft.
2025 NBA Draft Projection
Omoruyi is projected to be a second-round pick.
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