Gonzaga basketball has made it to the Sweet Sixteen in the 2024 March Madness tournament, and while they are focused on doing whatever they can to win the tournament, they are also looking towards the future in some regards as well. That has led them to trying to secure some more talent for their team via the transfer portal, and they have managed to land former Pepperdine star forward Michael Ajayi.
After spending two years at Pierce College in Washington, Ajayi transferred to Pepperdine for the 2023-24 campaign, and he ended up putting together an extremely strong campaign (17.2 PPG, 9.9 RPG, 1.9 APG, 46.7 FG%). With a great body of work on tape this season, Ajayi wanted to take another leap to a bigger school, which resulted in him finding his way to Gonzaga.
“Pepperdine transfer Michael Ajayi has committed to Gonzaga, he announced Tuesday via social media. Ajayi, from Washington, entered the transfer portal this month. The 6-foot-7 wing only spent one season at Pepperdine after transferring from Pierce College (Washington), but he earned first-team All-West Coast Conference honors after averaging 17.2 points and 9.9 rebounds while shooting 47% from 3-point range.” – Jeff Borzello, ESPN
Gonzaga lands potential star in the making in Michael Ajayi
Ajayi's numbers on the 2023-24 campaign are extremely impressive, even if it comes with the caveat that Pepperdine doesn't have an elite college basketball program. Still, they played some solid opponents throughout the year (namely a pair of games against Gonzaga), and while he wasn't at his best against them, Ajayi did drop 31 points against UNLV and 25 against Indiana State, showing that his game does translate well to contests against superior competition.
The Bulldogs have a talented crop of players such as Anton Watson, Nolan Hickman, and Ryan Nembhard leading the way for them, but turnover in college basketball is so high that you always need to be on the lookout for the next great players. Ajayi will be entering his senior year when he joins the team, so he will be eager to carve out a role for himself and prove he can excel against the tougher competition that the Zags face off against.
Ajayi has a desirable skillset as a skilled offensive wing who can play as a shooting guard or small forward in a conventional position-based offense. He's proven to be an elite three-point shooter, as he knocked down 46.6 percent of his shots from behind the arc, despite taking 10.8 threes per game. He's also a skilled and willing rebounder, as he nearly averaged a double-double with 9.9 rebounds despite standing at six-foot-seven.
There's no telling how Ajayi will fare with his new team, but based on the solid work he just did with Pepperdine, it's safe to say that he has the potential to become an immediate impact addition for the Bulldogs. For now, Gonzaga is focused solely on March Madness, but when they do turn the page towards next season, they will be thrilled to have Ajayi in their future plans.
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