LAS VEGAS -- The label "NCAA Champion" will follow Daniel Ochefu around like the pleasant embrace of the warm sun for the rest of his life. Seeing as the former Villanova standout cut down the nets as college basketball winners do, lapping up all the praise and attaboy's to the point of losing focus on the next step seems plausible.
That it didn't to Ochefu could be why the Washington Wizards took a shine to the thinking man's center this summer. That and his 6-11 size, rebounding and defense, of course.
An All-Big East Honorable Mention selection last season, the Baltimore native agreed to join the Wizards for the NBA's Las Vegas Summer League in July. That alone meant an opportunity to show off his skill set in front of professional scouts from leagues around the world. Ryan Arcidiacono, Ochefu's former teammate at Villanova and the Most Outstanding Player in the 2016 Final Four, was among the other hopefuls in Las Vegas.
"Every player's dream after they finish their college career is to participate in some sort of NBA activity," Ochefu said in Washington before the team headed west. "I'm just really blessed to be here."
Based on what happened next showed the Wizards were happy with Ochefu's presence. Before playing his first game under the NBA banner, he signed a three-year contract with Washington. Arcidiacono received a comparable contract with the San Antonio Spurs.
That deal included a reported $50,000 in guaranteed money. Nice money for a recent college graduate, though not enough of an investment for the Wizards to lock Ochefu into a roster spot next season. He'll report to their training camp in the fall and get to work showing the game that helped make him an NCAA champion.
"That I'm a great defensive player, a team guy," Ochefu said during the midst of the Summer League about what he's showing all those watching. "That's what teams expect me to do and I take a lot of pride in defense and rebounding. That's where I'm going to make my money."
The appeal of Ochefu's game exists beyond traditional statistics, though he increased his scoring during each of his four years at Villanova. During his senior season, he averaged 10.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks while shooting 62.7 percent from the field.
His numbers during four games in Las Vegas were not nearly as robust, though big men often struggle for points in these games where teams practice for the first time only shortly before the games tip. This is where the full breadth of Ochefu's arsenal helped carry him in the eyes of the Wizards' Summer League head coach.
"I like Daniel's ability to think," said Sidney Lowe, an assistant under Washington's regular head coach Scott Brooks. "He understands what he's doing. He knows how to execute his stuff. Defensively, he's been outstanding on the pick-and-roll defense. That's a challenge sometimes for big guys. He's done a great job of that. I'm so pleased with his effort and just the way he's played."
Having played with Arcidiacono and other strong perimeter players at Villanova helped shape Ochefu's approach.
"Just the ability to play with great guards. We have great guards on my summer league team and in the NBA. I played with great guards for four years. Seeing them take a lot of shots so [I'm] going after the boards," he said.
Those years with Arcidiacono, Josh Hart and title game hero Kris Jenkins included many BIG EAST battles, most of which the Wildcats won. Over Ochefu's last two seasons, Villanova went 32-4 in conference play. No wonder Ochefu's favorite part of his BIG EAST-specific career simply centered on the games.
"Probably the home and away's," he said "Just because you beat them at home, you know you're going on the road and going to get their best shot because they remember getting that L."
Even as he began his professional career, the BIG EAST remained prominent. The Wizards and Georgetown Hoyas both call the Verizon Center home. That's where Washington practiced before heading to Las Vegas. Ochefu stood feet away from a large "G" outside the Hoyas locker room when speaking with the Wizards media for the first time.
"I walked past that sign everyday just knowing I only have one [loss] in this building to Georgetown in my college career," he cracked. "It's always a little bitter every time I see that G."
If he can impress the Wizards' coaching staff to the point they keep him on the regular season roster, Ochefu will see that Georgetown "G" plenty. In this case, for a member of Villanova's title team, that would be a good thing.