A transfer from Pepperdine, revealed on social media that he has decided to join the Gonzaga Bulldogs for the 2024-25 season.
Standing 6 feet 7 inches tall and hailing from Kentwood High School in Washington, th top talent averaged 17.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per game during his junior year, earning a spot on the All-WCC first team. He had an impressive shooting performance, hitting 46.7% of his field goals and 47.0% of his three-pointers (on 2.5 attempts per game). Ajayi was also ranked No. 6 in On3.com’s transfer portal rankings.
According to Joe Tipton of On3.com, He drew interest from several top programs, including Indiana, Kansas, Arizona, Baylor, and UCLA. After entering the transfer portal he was planning visits to both Gonzaga and Ole Miss.
Ajayi is known for his skill and athleticism as a multi-level scorer. He is expected to take over Anton Watson’s spot in the starting lineup once the fifth-year senior graduates this spring. While Ajayi may not match Watson’s defensive prowess, his ability to drive to the basket, score from midrange, and shoot from long distance would provide a new dimension to Gonzaga’s offense that was lacking this season.
Ajayi’s transition to Division-I basketball comes after two years at Pierce Community College in Puyallup, Washington, where he earned the 2022 Northwest Athletic Conference West Region MVP and Freshman of the Year honors, averaging 20.4 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. He also played one year of varsity high school basketball at Kentwood High School during the 2020-21 season.
With Ajayi confirmed for next season, the Gonzaga coaching staff is closely monitoring the transfer portal as they continue their deep run in the NCAA Tournament. Among the players reportedly on their radar are Stanford transfer Kanaan Carlyle and SE Louisiana transfer Roger McFarlane. The 45-day transfer portal window is currently open, with the final deadline for players to enter their names (excluding grad transfers and those moving due to coaching changes) set for May 1.
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