When Louisville coach Rick Pitino told me in July that Kansas had a legitimate chance to have the top two picks in June’s NBA draft, I thought he was nuts.

Let’s face it, Pitino wasn’t exactly stellar when he was in charge of personnel decisions for the Boston Celtics back in the day. So I took it with a grain of salt and quickly moved on to the next topic.

Everyone knew that Andrew Wiggins would be squarely in the equation for the top overall selection, but few had seen Joel Embiid. The 7-footer from Cameroon was a mystery man of sorts.

But Pitino had recruited Embiid and was confident in his potential.

“Skilled. Size. Raw.”

Those were the words Pitino used to describe Embiid, and after watching the freshman in Lawrence in October, I was beyond intrigued. I wasn’t alone, either, as several NBA guys who made preseason stops at Kansas also came away more impressed with Embiid than with Wiggins.

There aren’t many fluid, agile 7-footers who can score with their back to the basket these days -- and even fewer who can also step out and make shots from the perimeter.

Embiid is supposed to be raw on the offensive end. Instead, it’s his defense that has catching up to do. He’s a solid shot-blocker, and he’ll need to get stronger and tougher to defend guys in the post.

The comparisons to Hakeem Olajuwon -- one of the best centers of all time and a magician with his post moves, skill level and footwork -- are obviously unfair. But even Kansas coach Bill Self has said there are facets of Embiid's game that are reminiscent of Hakeem the Dream.

Embiid has already had his share of moments early this season. He went for 16 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks in the Bahamas against Iona, and had 10 points and five rebounds in just a dozen minutes in KU's loss to Villanova.

However, it was a sensational first-half performance against Colorado on Saturday, when Embiid was masterful in the post with an array of moves, that got me thinking about whether he could be in the discussion for the No. 1 overall pick.

It got NBA folks wondering the same.

“If he ain’t the first pick, he’s the second,” one high-ranking NBA executive in attendance told me.

“He’s got to be in the equation,” added another.

There’s a saying within the NBA community. “If you take a chance, do it with size.” Embiid has been blessed with size -- and skill. He’s coachable, and he’s still learning the game. In fact, the Cameroon native has been playing only since he was 16 years old.

As dominant as Embiid was in the first 20 minutes, he was virtually invisible in the second half against the Buffaloes. However, Tad Boyle made adjustments. Each time Embiid touched the ball, he had one of his guards come and immediately double-team.

The issue for Self is that he doesn’t have knockdown shooters on the perimeter, so more opposing teams will likely go a similar route, daring guys like Naadir Tharpe and Frank Mason -- and Wiggins -- to hit shots from the perimeter while making certain that Embiid doesn’t have time to operate one-on-one against a post defender.

Not all NBA teams, though, are willing to place Embiid near the top of their draft boards. The two top spots, when talking to the majority of NBA guys, are reserved for Wiggins and skilled Duke freshman forward Jabari Parker. Sure, Kentucky’s Julius Randle and Oklahoma State’s Marcus Smart are also in the equation, but Wiggins and Parker are the co-leaders for the No. 1 spot at this juncture.

“Those two are the favorites,” one NBA general manager told me on Monday. “I like Embiid, but he’s not in their category.”

“I don’t think he gets in that mix,” another scout at the Kansas-Colorado game told me. “I think he’s probably more of a top-five guy.”

Embiid needs to get stronger and tougher and has to work on his decision-making and passing.

“His upside is amazing,” added another high-ranking NBA executive. “Most kids that have played for such a short time like he has don’t have a very good feel. He does. Kansas is not very good when he’s not on the floor, and two of the guys on the floor are first-round picks [Wiggins and Wayne Selden]. That tells you how good Embiid really is.”

“I don’t think he is in the mix for the No. 1 pick -- yet,” he added. “But he can be if he keeps getting better. He’s top-five for sure.”