Michael Ajayi commits to Gonzaga Bulldogs

Pepperdine transfer was No. 6 in On3.com’s transfer portal rankings

Pepperdine v Gonzaga / Robert Johnson/GettyImages

Pepperdine transfer Michael Ajayi announced on social media that he has committed to the Gonzaga Bulldogs for the 2024-25 season.

The 6-foot-7 wing from Kentwood High School in Washington, averaged 17.2 points and 9.9 rebounds as a junior, earning All-WCC first team honors. He shot 46.7% from the field and 47.0% from 3-point range (2.5 attempts per game). Ajayi was ranked No. 6 in On3.com’s transfer portal rankings.

Per On3.com’s Joe Tipton, Ajayi also received interest from Indiana, Kansas, Arizona, Baylor and UCLA among others. Ajayi reportedly was planning visits to Gonzaga and Ole Miss after hitting the transfer portal on March 18.

A skilled and athletic multi-level scorer, Ajayi would likely fill in Anton Watson’s spot in the starting lineup once the fifth-year senior graduates this spring. He doesn’t have the same defensive impact as Watson, but his ability to drive and finish at the rim, pull up from the midrange and shoot from beyond the arc would add another element to the Bulldogs’ offense that they didn’t have this season.

Ajayi’s first season of Division-I basketball follows two years at Pierce Community College in Puyallup, Washington, where he was named the 2022 Northwest Athletic Conference West Region’s Most Valuable Player and the West Region’s Freshman of the Year after putting up 20.4 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. He also spent just one year playing high school varsity basketball at Kentwood High School in 2020-21.

With Ajayi set for next season, the Zags are keeping a close eye at the transfer portal during their deep NCAA Tournament run. Stanford transfer Kanaan Carlyle and SE Louisiana transfer Roger McFarlane are among some of the names reportedly on the coaching staff’s radar early into the 45-day portal window. The last day for players to enter their names into the transfer portal (excluding grad transfers and players transferring following a coaching change) is May 1.