Stanley Umude Scouting Report

From South Dakota to Arkansas, to a one-year deal with the Detroit Pistons, Stanley Umude makes a name for himself wherever he goes. Originally starting his collegiate career with South Dakota, Umude was a three-time All-Summit selection, who averaged 21.5 points (ranked ninth in the nation) and seven rebounds per game in his last season with the Coyotes (2021). During that senior season with South Dakota, the 23-year-old guard ranked in the top ten of the Summit Conference for points per game (second), rebounds per game (sixth), assists per game (eighth), player efficiency rating (third), and win shares (fifth). 

After an impressive collegiate career at South Dakota, Umude transferred as a graduate student to Arkansas, using his last year of NCAA eligibility. During the pre-draft process, Hoops Prospects got the chance to talk with the “super” senior about his college experiences, including adapting to a new role with the Razorbacks.

“I wouldn’t trade this past year for anything. I think it was one of the best years of my life to this point, and you know, from the minute I entered the transfer portal I kind of had a good idea that Arkansas was where I wanted to go,” Umude said about the 2021-2022 season.

Full Interview with Stanley Umude  

With teammates such as Jaylin Williams and JD Notae at Arkansas, Umude was no longer the go-to guy on offense.  The former South Dakota star became more of a 3-and-D player, a role that he will likely have at the next level.  Due to the role change, his usage percentage fell from third in the country at 34.8 percent in 2021 to just 21.2 percent in 2022. He averaged 27.8 minutes per game with Arkansas, whereas in 2021, he averaged 32.3 minutes per game. Additionally, he was much less productive in terms of points (11.9) and rebounds (4.6) per game. However, despite less usage and fewer minutes vs. tougher competition in the SEC, Umude increased his efficiency in various ways. He set a number of career highs with the Razorbacks, including a 3-point percentage of 37.1, an effective field-goal percentage of 53.6, a steal percentage of 2.0, win shares of 3.7, and a plus-minus rating of 6.0.  He also finished 15th in SEC with a true shooting percentage of 55.9. 

After college, Umude was not selected in the 2022 NBA Draft and became a free agent. He was picked up by the Detroit Pistons and signed to an Exhibit 10 deal. In the Summer League, Umude played in four games, averaging 10.8 points and 2.5 rebounds per game. During those four games, he averaged 18.6 minutes per game, with impressive shooting splits (.483/.444/.875). 

Umude’s consistency as a player is rather remarkable. Despite a significant increase in the level of competition and a drastic change in role at Arkansas, he ranked at the 76th percentile in both 2021 and 2022 for overall points per possession (PPP), and he did so in similar ways.  At both schools, he was mainly an off-ball scorer, rather than creating shots off the bounce.  Over the last two seasons combined, he was well above average for PPP via transition, cuts, and post-ups.  Over the same span, he was average at best as an isolation scorer, and was barely used as a pick-and-roll ball handler.  The main difference between the two seasons was his efficiency as a spot-up player.  At Arkansas, he shot a career-high 37.1 percent from deep and ranked at the 69th percentile via spot-ups; as a senior at South Dakota, he made 35.5 percent of his threes and ranked at the 39th percentile when spotting up.  

Though he flourished as an all-around scorer with the Coyotes and is a good athlete, Umude has never thrived as a primary ball handler at any point in his college career.  He struggles to gain separation and settles for too many difficult and/or mid-range jumpers. He’s also far from being a reliable playmaker, posting a career assist-turnover ratio of 0.92 and averaging just 1.6 assists per game over the same span. As a pro, there is little chance that he will be asked to be a primary ball handler, but he will need to improve as a passer to earn consistent minutes.

Umude has the tools to be a very effective defender at the professional level.  He features great speed and vertical explosiveness, and he is solid in terms of length, quickness, and lateral movement. He’s a very sticky on-ball defender, who plays with effort and energy.  This past season, he ranked at the 91st percentile for overall PPP allowed and finished 23rd in the SEC with a defensive rating of 94.9. The Portland native is switchable, capable of guarding positions one through four.  As a pick-and-roll defender, he does a nice job of fighting through screens and has a good sense of when to go over or under.  

Umude can improve as a team defender, playing with more off-ball awareness and discipline.  He has a tendency to be a little too aggressive as a helper and/or get caught ball watching.  This is most noticeable when he defends spot-up players. When he wanders too far from his man, he often closes out with too much speed and leaves his feet to block the shot. This can lead to some easy baskets for opponents, who use Umude’s momentum against him. More off-ball awareness would also lead to more steals; his career-high of 1.0 steals per game came with Arkansas, and for his entire career, he averaged just 0.67 steals per game.  On the other hand, he is a good shot-blocking wing, posting a block percentage of at least 3.3 in four of his five college seasons.  

Overall, the good things outweigh the bad when it comes to Umude’s defense and offense. He is an energetic and athletic defender, who can guard multiple positions. He plays with a high level of effort, seemingly never giving up. The 6-foot-6 wing is a three-level scorer, and has steadily improved his three-point percentage, which is promising for the pro levels. However, his awareness and discipline could improve on both ends of the court. Throughout his career, effort, consistency, adaptability and athleticism have been a large part of Umude’s game, and they are attributes that will benefit him at the professional level as he works on being more proficient with passes, attacking with the ball, and defending off the ball.

Umude has the mindset to be a great player in the G League and international leagues, and with the right amount of attention to his shortcomings, he could be a solid role player for an NBA team. He is someone that believes in himself and knows what he is capable of on the court. 

On the podcast, Umude spoke about what he believes to be his biggest strength as a player, which I think is what will get him far as a pro. “I think just versatility, offensive, and defensive side. I think I’m able to adapt to a lot of different situations,” Umude said. “I think I’m able to find a way to carve out a role and be effective and produce for any team I find myself on.”

Strengths

• Good Defender:
  • Ranked at the 91st^t percentile for PPP allowed as an overall defender (2021-2022) 
  • Aggressive defending on the ball; ranked at the 89th percentile for PPP allowed in isolation (2021-2022 season)
  • Ranked 23rd in the SEC with a defensive rating of 94.9 (2021-2022 season)
  • Ranked in the top five of the Summit Conference for blocks per game in 2018-19 (1.2) and in 2019-20 (1.3)
• Versatile and Reliable Scorer:
  • The ninth ranked scorer in the NCAA for 2021, averaging 21.6 PPG
  • 76th percentile for overall PPP for the last two seasons
  • 75th percentile on catch-and-shoot attempts (2021-2022 season)
  • 74th percentile shooting off screens (2021-2022 season)
  • 76th percentile shooting around the basket (2021-2022 season)
  • 46.7 percent from the field for his entire college career
  • 74.4 percent from the charity stripe for his college career
  • Steadily improving from deep, making a career-high 37.1 percent this past season
  • Impressive shooting splits in Summer League action (.483/.444/.875)
• Athletic:
  • His 3.12 three-quarter court sprint during the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament ranks at the 86th percentile in the Hoops Prospects’ combine database
  • His 33.5-inch standing vertical at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament ranks at the 91st percentile in the Hoops Prospects’ combine database
• Adaptable, capable of taking on various roles

Weaknesses

• Off-ball Defensive Awareness — Umude has strong defensive skills, but in his college career, he averaged only 0.67 steals per game. Also, can lose track of his man, and subsequently closes out with too much aggression. 
• Poor Passer — accuracy, decision-making, and vision could all improve.  Averaged just 1.6 APG during his collegiate career, with an assist-turnover ratio of 0.92. Also, ranked at the 47th percentile for points and assists combined per possession during his season with the Razorbacks. 
• A Subpar On-ball Scorer — over the past two seasons, made less than 35 percent of both his jump shots off the dribble and his shots in isolation.

Sources, Credits, and Acknowledgements  

Statistics used in our scouting reports come from RealGM.com (international stats), Sports-Reference.com (NCAA stats), and Synergy Sports Technology (special analytics),  Other outside sources are noted with links to the source.  Click here to see the statistical abbreviation key.