Ifeoluwa Joshua Ajayi (born December 27, 1996) is a Nigerian professional basketball player. He played college basketball for South Alabama.
| No. 9 – Skyliners Frankfurt | |
|---|---|
| Position | Small forward |
| League | ProA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | December 27, 1996 Abuja, Nigeria |
| Nationality | Nigerian |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 229 lb (104 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
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| College |
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| NBA draft | 2020: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2020–present |
| Career history | |
| 2020–2021 | Hermine Nantes |
| 2021–2022 | SLUC Nancy Basket |
| 2024–present | Skyliners Frankfurt |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Early life
editAjayi attended San Gabriel Academy where he averaged a double-double his final two seasons. He averaged 16.5 points and 11.8 rebounds per game as a junior. Ajayi did a postgraduate year at Cheshire Academy in Cheshire, Connecticut. He averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds per game and earned Class AA Honorable Mention All-New England honors from the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council. Ajayi signed with South Alabama out of high school.[1]
College career
editAjayi redshirted his true freshman season as a partial academic qualifier.[1] He averaged 10.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game as a redshirt freshman, and he scored 27 points against FIU.[2] As a sophomore, Ajayi averaged 12.9 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.[3] Ajayi averaged 16.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game as a junior, shooting 56 percent from the floor. He earned Second Team All-Sun Belt honors.[4] On November 12, 2019, Ajayi was named Sun Belt player of the week after posting a career-high 30 points as well as seven rebounds in a 75-69 victory over Southern Miss.[5] He was again named conference player of the week on January 20, 2020, after posting 24 points in a 74-68 win over Georgia Southern.[6] As a senior, Ajayi averaged 14.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, helping the Jaguars finish 20-11, and led the conference with a 56.2 field goal percentage.[7] He was named to the First Team All-Sun Belt as well as First-Team All-District by the NABC.[8][7]
Professional career
editOn June 29, 2020, Ajayi signed his first professional contract with Hermine Nantes of the French LNB Pro B.[8] He averaged 10.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. On July 8, 2021, Ajayi signed with SLUC Nancy Basket.[9]
References
edit- ^ a b Reed, Taren (August 14, 2015). "Men's Baseball Marks Final 2 Additions to 2015-16 Roster". NBC 15. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
- ^ "JAGUAR MEN'S BASKETBALL POSITION PREVIEW – FORWARDS". South Alabama Jaguars. October 27, 2017. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
- ^ McLaughlin, Will (November 6, 2018). "Game Preview and Open Thread - Auburn vs. South Alabama". College and Magnolia. SB Nation. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
- ^ Stephenson, Craig (September 27, 2019). "South Alabama basketball 'chasing greatness' as preseason practice begins". Al.com. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
- ^ Stephenson, Craig (November 12, 2019). "South Alabama's Josh Ajayi honored by Sun Belt Conference". Al.com. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
- ^ Stephenson, Craig (January 20, 2020). "South Alabama's Josh Ajayi named Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week". Al.com. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
- ^ a b "USA men's basketball senior Josh Ajayi named first-team all-district by NABC". Fox 10. March 23, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
- ^ a b Stephenson, Craig (June 29, 2020). "Former South Alabama star Josh Ajayi signs with French pro team". Al.com. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
- ^ "Nancy sign Josh Ajayi". Eurobasket. July 8, 2021. Retrieved October 4, 2021.