UFC big man Tacko Fall’s official NBA Draft Combine measurements are turning heads. The likely NBA Draft prospect recently set several records at the event in Chicago, Illinois.
That includes his measurements for height, reach, and wingspan. Could he become the next “big thing” within the league based on his early measurements and stats?
Tacko Fall’s height, reach, and wingspan impress
Bringing a big man into the NBA is always a risky thing, but many teams are willing to gamble. Previous players with tall stature have included the likes of Shawn Bradley and Yao Ming.
Each of these guys was at least 7-foot-6. In the current league, the Sixers’ Boban Marjanovic and Mavericks’ Kristaps Porzingis are each 7-foot-3.
If Tacko Fall enters the league, he’ll become the tallest player in quite some time. Falls is at the NBA Draft Combine event in Chicago, Illinois. Players are measured during the event for various categories including their height. Falls stands at 7-foot-7 with shoes, just like Bradley and Ming.
As far as his reach and wingspan, Tacko Fall’s Combine measurements include an 8’2 1/4″ wingspan as wells as a 10’2 1/2″ standing reach. Those three numbers were enough to move him past database records that date back to the 1980s.
UCF's Tacko Fall official measurements at the NBA Combine: 7'5 1/4 without shoes, 7'7 with shoes, 289 pounds, 8'2 1/4 wingspan, 10'2 1/2 standing reach, 6.8% body fat. Tacko just broke every figure in our database for height, wingspan and reach, dating back to the 80s. ?? pic.twitter.com/xNNwRuKZcK
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 15, 2019
It’s speculated that he is the heaviest player at the Draft Combine event, as the potential top pick Zion Williamson wasn’t measured. He’s been listed at 285 pounds on some websites, so Tacko Fall’s measurements best that by several pounds.
Who will draft Tacko Falls in the NBA?
With Falls, an NBA team will get a four-year player who improved over his time at UCF. He was on display in the NCAA Tournament this past March when he went up against Zion Williamson and Duke.
Falls averaged 11.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game for his senior season.
Clearly, if he can stay healthy and develop further skills in the professional league, he’s worth a team taking the chance.
Manute Bol was a tall player with shot blocking for days. Ironically, Bol’s own son Bol Bol is an NBA prospect too but he only stands at 7-foot-2. He’s projected as a top 20, or even top 13 pick in many early mock drafts.
Most of the same early NBA mock drafts are projecting Tacko to fall outside of the first round. So that means, a team may have to gamble on him with a second-round pick or sign an undrafted big man who towers over other centers.
With news of Tacko Fall’s NBA Draft Combine measurements, it seems he’ll be hard to ignore.