CHICAGO — A late-season role change did not end Tobe Awaka’s hopes of reaching the NBA. Even after shifting from a starting spot to a reserve role for Arizona, Awaka earned one of the initial 73 invitations to the NBA Draft Combine, a sign that teams are still evaluating him as a potential draft pick or a candidate for a two-way contract with an NBA club and its G League affiliate.
There was a moment this spring when a proposed change to NCAA eligibility rules — a so-called “five-in-five” proposal — made it possible for Awaka to consider returning to college basketball. Under that brief idea, players could have had unlimited playing seasons within a strict five-year window beginning at either high school graduation or their 19th birthday, instead of the current model that generally allows four seasons within a five-year clock. Awaka, who has played four consecutive collegiate seasons — two at Tennessee followed by two at Arizona — was within that five-year window and thus briefly had a theoretical path back to the Wildcats.
The potential for a return was made more concrete by roster openings at Arizona. With the expectation that Koa Peat would be declaring for the NBA Draft, there was a perceived vacancy at the power forward spot that Awaka could have filled as a returning player. In the end, however, the eligibility change did not materialize in a way that benefitted him. “I heard a little bit about it, but I honestly didn’t think it was going to happen,” Awaka told reporters during his Combine media interview. “I heard a lot of noise about it and the next day, they were like ‘nobody’s being grandfathered in.’"
Instead of dwelling on what might have been, Awaka said he turned his attention to the future once Arizona’s season concluded. That focus has already produced a tangible sign of progress: his invitation to the NBA Combine. The Combine generally offers prospects a stage to showcase their skills in front of team scouts and executives, and an invite is often taken as an indication a player is under serious consideration for one of the 60 draft selections or for a two-way roster arrangement.
Tobe Awaka speaks at a table during an NBA Draft Combine interview, with his nameplate and the combine backdrop visible.
Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd, who attended the Combine, emphasized that Awaka still has room to grow and expressed confidence in the forward’s trajectory. “Tobe’s a high-level player whose best basketball days are ahead of him,” Lloyd said during the Combine. “People who understand and evaluate the game, they see that. So I'm not surprised he got invited, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him drafted.”
Awaka’s on-court tendencies helped make his case. He led the nation in offensive rebounds, a production metric that draws attention from evaluators who prize extra possessions and effort on the glass. That tenacity, combined with the way Arizona used him last season, offered a different kind of professional profile than the one that existed a year earlier.
After beginning the 2024-25 season as a starter — earning honorable mention All-Big 12 recognition while opening most games that year — Awaka embraced a new role in 2025-26. He moved to the bench and became the league’s clear choice for Sixth Man Award consideration, a role that smoothed Arizona’s transition into a tightly managed eight-player rotation. That approach contributed to the Wildcats’ deep postseason run, which culminated in a trip to the Final Four.
Tobe Awaka reaches up during a vertical reach test at the NBA Draft Combine, wearing his combine workout jersey (No. 13).
Reflecting on the move to a reserve role, Awaka framed it as a positive professional step rather than a setback. “I think it just goes to show that sacrificing for the team isn't a negative,” he said during his Combine interview. “It's not something that derails your career or hinders you, but it could be a new opportunity for you to showcase yourself.” His willingness to adapt and play in support of the team’s structure appears to have reinforced perceptions of him among evaluators.
Former Arizona player and NBA Draft analyst Matt Babcock pointed to Awaka’s intangible qualities as part of what makes him attractive to pro teams. Babcock singled out his “intelligence and character,” saying those traits, coupled with Awaka’s blue-collar style of play, could make him a viable option to fill out an NBA roster. Those assessments align with the kinds of evaluations teams often make when considering later-round picks or two-way deals that balance potential with readiness to contribute in a complementary role.
Awaka also used the Combine platform to discuss specific parts of his game. In media sessions he referenced his performance in shooting drills and took part in standard physical testing, including a vertical reach evaluation while wearing his Combine workout jersey. Those moments provide teams additional data points beyond college statistics and game film — offering insight into a player’s skill connectivity, physical profile and how he presents himself in a highly scrutinized, team-evaluation setting.
His Combine appearance does not guarantee a particular outcome: the NBA Draft is limited to 60 selections and roster construction varies team by team. But an invitation itself signals that league decision-makers believe Awaka is worthy of direct comparison with other prospects. Whether he is selected on draft night or offered a two-way contract in the ensuing days, the Combine has extended his opportunity to stake a claim for a professional role.
For now, Awaka’s timeline is defined by the evaluation window that follows the Combine — a period in which teams will synthesize what they saw on film, data from the Combine and interviews with prospects. The path he now pursues will be decided in those meetings and subsequent pre-draft activity, with the possibility remaining that he will transition from a college role player into a professional contributor at the NBA or G League level.