One of the top small forwards in the country lives in the West Coast Conference.
Michael Ajayi of the Zags is considered one of the best small forwards heading into the 2024-2025 season and it took him a while to get noticed at this point. He spent his high school time in Kentwood, WA, then ended up being a star in Puyallap, WA for Pierce College. After the junior college level was done, the trip to Malibu, CA under former head coach Lorenzo Romar was set for Ajayi.
Last season with the Pepperdine Waves, Ajayi averaged 17.2 PPG on 46.7 FG% and 47.0 3PT% as well as 9.9 RPG (20th most in the nation) in his first D-1 season.
Ajayi Named to @HoophallU #ErvingAward Preseason Watch List
Press Release: https://t.co/8DGnICKoj4 pic.twitter.com/Tf9ujvvTpj— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) October 30, 2024
The 6’7 senior will be joining these other 2024 candidates:
Trey Townsend – Arizona
BJ Freeman – Arizona State
Chad Baker-Mazara – Auburn
Tyson Degenhart – Boise State
Cooper Flagg – Duke
Mackenzie Mgbako – Indiana
Payton Sandfort – Iowa
Milan Momcilovic – Iowa State
A.J. Storr – Kansas
Jaxson Robinson – Kentucky
Matthew Cleveland – Miami
Frankie Fidler – Michigan State
Mark Mitchell – Missouri
Ian Jackson – North Carolina
Drake Powell – North Carolina
Ace Bailey – Rutgers
Arthur Kaluma – Texas
Liam McNeeley – UConn
Tucker DeVries – West Virginia
Gonzaga is now 2 for 3 on the national preseason positional awards given out by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame with point guard Ryan Nembhard being named to the Bob Cousy Award watch list.
Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on Twitter @a_cravalho