Toibu Lawal is a right-handed forward and low-percentage shooter with world-class athletic ability. Lawal averaged 12.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 1.1 blocked shots per game at Virginia Tech. He played his first two seasons at VCU before finishing with two seasons at Virginia Tech.
At 6'7" with a 6'10.5" wingspan and 214 pounds, Lawal has small forward size, but his game is still more athlete than polished wing. He started playing basketball late, at age 16, and that shows in the skill areas. Lawal had almost three times as many turnovers as assists, and the three-ball is not a big part of his game. He shot 32.5% from three-point range for his career and attempted only 48 threes in 669 minutes this season. The free throw improvement is encouraging. Lawal dramatically raised his free throw percentage to 76.3% in 2025-26, and he shot 58.3% from the field for his career. He is so explosive that he can make a catch near the foul line and be at the rim with one quick burst. We feel like he could have been used more offensively. Lawal is incredible as a transition finisher. His DDiff was plus 0.7. ...The athletic testing is the separator. Lawal had the highest max vertical at the NBA Draft Combine at 45.5". His running and jumping abilities are world-class elite. We hear he is a hard worker, and that matters because the skill development will determine whether he can eventually turn the athletic gifts into a NBA role. We think Lawal will be drafted late in round two. He is not ready to consistently make the right reads in the NBA in our opinion. However, if he can keep working, add skill, and make the shooting improvement real, he could become a factor down the road.
