Indiana Pacers Pre-Draft Workouts: Kevin Obanor One-on-One Interview (June 13, 2023)
Height: 6-8
Weight: 235
Position: F
College: Texas Tech
Age: 24
2022-23 Season Stats
PPG: 14.4
RPG: 6.4
APG: 0.9
BLK: 0.4
STL: 0.8
Player Bio
Courtesy of Texas Tech Athletics
SENIOR SEASON (2022-23): Earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection after leading Tech with 14.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game… Finished collegiate career with 2,137 points and 1,094 rebounds in 155 games played… Was eighth in the Big 12 in rebounding and 11th in scoring for the season… Started all 32 games as a fifth-year senior and started all 69 games during his two seasons at Tech… Scored a season-high 26 points against No. 3 Kansas at home in a game where he was 4-for-8 on 3-pointers and 6-of-7 at the free-throw line… Finished the season with 24 games in double figures and eight with 20 or more points… Recorded two double-doubles during the season, first with 25 points and 10 rebounds in a non-conference win over Eastern Washington and then producing 24 points and 13 rebounds in a home win over No. 13 Iowa State… Shot 154-for-313 (49.2 percent for the season and was 42-for-127 (33.1 percent) on 3-pointers… Finished fifth in the Big 12 with an 81.0 free-throw percentage after going 111-for-137 at the line… Also had 20 points against West Virginia in Big 12 play where he would average 12.6 points in the 18 conference games… Produced 14 points and six rebounds in the season finale loss against WVU in the Big 12 Championship first round… In two seasons at Tech, Obanor had 831 points and 410 rebounds.
AWARDS
• All-Big 12 Honorable Mention (2022 & 2023)
• Julius Erving Award Watch List (2021-22)
• College Insider Mid-Major All-American (Lou Henson Award Finalist)
• NABC All-District First Team (2020-21)
• All-Summit League First Team (2020-21)
• Summit League All-Tournament Team (2020-21)
• Three-time Summit League Player of the Week (Dec. 21, Jan. 4, Feb. 8 -- 2020-21)
• Summit League All-Tournament Team (2020)
• Freshman All-American (College Insider)
• Summit League Freshman of the Year (2018-19)
• Summit League Sixth Man of the Year (2018-19)
• All-Summit League Second Team (2018-19)
• Summit League All-Newcomer Team (2018-19)
• Summit League Player of the Week (Feb. 11, 2019)
SENIOR SEASON (2021-22)
- Obanor averaged 10.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in a season where he led the Red Raiders with five double-doubles
- Recorded three of his double-doubles in the NCAA Tournament, including going for 15 points and 15 rebounds in the second-round win over Notre Dame
- Started his postseason stretch with 10 points and 11 rebounds in the first round against Montana State before having 10 points and 10 rebounds in the Sweet 16 loss against Duke
- Finished the season with seven straight games in double-figure scoring for his season-best, starting with a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double performance in the regular-season finale at Oklahoma State
- A starter in all 37 games, Obanor led Tech with 48 3-pointers made after going 2-for-4 against the Blue Devils in the final game of the year
- Had eight games with three or more 3-pointers, including a season-high five 3-pointers in a 17-point performance against Texas at home
- Recorded his first double-double of the season with a season-high 23 points to go along with 13 rebounds in the home win over Baylor where he was 4-for7 on 3-pointers and finished with 21 second-half points
- Scored in double figures in 20 games and had six double-figure rebounding games
- Through four collegiate seasons and 123 games played, Obanor now has 1,676 points and 889 rebounds in his career with one year of eligibility remaining
PRIOR TO TEXAS TECH
- Played three seasons at Oral Roberts University where he scored 1,306 points and secured 684 rebounds
- Helped the Golden Eagles to the 2021 Sweet 16 with three double-doubles in the 2021 NCAA Tournament
- Went through the NBA Draft process before electing to return to college and enter the transfer portal where he was listed as the No. 9 ranked transfer player according to ESPN
- Earned NABC All-District and All-Summit League first team honors as a redshirt junior last season where he averaged 18.7 points and 9.6 rebounds per game
- Led ORU in rebounding 24 times during the season and scored in double-figures in 27 of 28 games
- Scored a career-high 39 points against Omaha in a game where he went 16-for-23 from the field and also had a career-high with an 18-rebound performance against North Dakota
- Shined in the NCAA Tournament with three double-doubles, including going off for 30 points and 11 rebounds in a first-round upset of Ohio State and followed it with 28 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Florida
- Recorded 12 points and 11 rebounds in a Sweet 16 loss to Arkansas
- Was the 2018-19 Summit League Freshman of the Year and also was named the Summit League Sixth Man of the Year and to its all-newcomer team in his first season in Tulsa
- Averaged 14.9 points and 7.4 rebounds per game as a freshman and was named College Insider Freshman All-American
- Played at Mount Zion Christian Academy for head coach Harry Tunde Williams
- Also competed in football and cross country in high school
COLLEGIATE CAREER PATH
- 2017-18: Redshirt - Oral Roberts
- 2018-19: Oral Roberts
- 2019-20: Oral Roberts
- 2020-21: Oral Roberts
- 2021-22: Texas Tech
PERSONAL: Son of Johanna and Ken Obanor.... Has three siblings, Kenneth, Christine and Kelly Obanor... Born on June 12, 1999… Graduated from Genesis Academy in 2017.