Let's dive into the numbers.
Iwundu was remarkably consistent on the defensive end of the floor in college. Never had a DBPM below 3.4 in four years. To compare to other guard/wing prospects drafted in the same range...
DBPM
Josh Hart (30th): 4.0
Wesley Iwundu (33rd): 3.4Davon Reed (32nd): 3.3
Derrick White (29th): 3.2
Frank Mason (34th): 1.5
Jawun Evans (39th): 1.4
Frank Jackson (31st): 0.2
Semi Ojeleye (37th): 0.2
Iwundu graded out pretty favorably on the defensive end of the floor with the other guys selected in his range. He's quick, he moves his feet well and he's remarkably long. 7'1" wingspan and 8'9 ½" standing reach for a guy that's a shade under 6'7" is excellent. It's kind of cliche to say that Weltman/Hammond have a type already, but two draft picks into the regime and they went with two of the longest players in the draft at their positions.
Draft Express had him mocked at 57 on June 18th, then jumped him all the way to 39th on June 19th before eventually settling him into the 36th spot in their final mock. Sounds like Iwundu did extremely well on the draft workout scene and really boosted his stock.
This guy knew. Good reporting from the K-State beat writer to nail this one hours before the pick.
The game O'Connor is referring to, is this one:
http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/boxscore?gameId=400946444 where Iwundu had 24 points on 9 shots, 6 rebounds and 7 assists leading his team to a victory over a Wake Forest.
Let's talk about the passing skills.
Iwundu, despite playing SG/SF at K-State, led the Wildcats in assists as a junior and was second on the team as a senior. 24.6 and 22.9 AST% his last two years as a wing is excellent. Let's compare.
AST%
Jawun Evans (39th): 43.6
Derrick White (29th): 28.6
Frank Mason (34th): 26.1
Wesley Iwundu (33rd): 24.6Josh Hart (30th): 18.8
Davon Reed (32nd): 14.4
Frank Jackson (31st): 12.6
Semi Ojeleye (37th): 9.3
The three guys ahead of Iwundu on the list were all point guards for their college teams, so the fact Iwundu is even close to White/Mason (who each had USG% 25.6 compared to Iwundu's 22.3) is impressive.
The other thing Iwundu did really well at K-State was rebound the basketball. 12.3% is tremendous for a wing and you'll see that he outpaced everyone selected in his range. Admittedly, several of these players played PG, so the opportunities wouldn't be there as much, but I think it's worth noting that Iwundu held his own/excelled as a passer combined to the rest of the group, while being the best rebounder.
REB%
Wesley Iwundu (33rd): 12.3Josh Hart (30th): 12.2
Semi Ojeleye (37th): 11.8
Davon Reed (32nd): 8.1
Derrick White (29th): 7.0
Jawun Evans (39th): 6.8
Frank Mason (34th): 6.4
Frank Jackson (31st): 5.8
The biggest question for Iwundu is simple. Are his improvements shooting real or just sample size noise? His 3PT% and FT% both saw pretty dramatic increases as a senior. Is that the real Iwundu and his shooting developing, or are we looking at a guy who won't be able to get on the floor on the wing because he can't space?
Statistically, it looks very promising for Iwundu as a defender, passer and rebounder. His long-term prospects all boil down to how well he can shoot the ball in the NBA.