2. Ochai Agbaji (Ranked No. 139 in Class of 2018)
Ochai Agbaji did something that only a few Jayhawks get the opportunity to do: be the leader of a national championship-winning team. Ochai’s offensive abilities led toward a banner year for his team, averaging 18.8 points per game as a senior. The Kansas City native was heavily recruited by Self, and it paid off in the long run.
He entered his collegiate career as a redshirt but eventually became a key contributor after Lagerald Vick disappeared. Due to an abundance of injuries from his fellow teammates during his early years as a Jayhawk, he got the opportunity to grow into an NBA-level player.
Agbaji will go down as an underdog. Nobody thought he was going to be a first-round draft pick after he graduated, and nobody ever thought he would lead a Bill Self roster to cut the nets down in New Orleans.
The current Jazz guard is an example of what grit is. Without Ochai as a member of the Jayhawks, they wouldn’t have had a sixth national championship. His natural competitiveness and maturing as a college basketball player were one of the best stories in sports in 2022. He inspired fellow high schoolers all over the country to be as motivated as he was to accomplish a lifelong dream. It is one of Self’s greatest recruiting jobs ever.