Transfer portal update: Gonzaga reportedly interested in Pepperdine's Michael Ajayi
The 2024 NCAA Tournament isn't the only thing the Gonzaga Bulldogs are reportedly focused on.
According to On3.com's Joe Tipton, Pepperdine transfer Michael Ajayi "has heard" from the Zags among other schools after the 6-foot-7 wing announced he was entering his name into the college basketball transfer portal on March 13. The official 45-day window for transfers opened the Monday after Selection Sunday.
Ajayi, who played at Pierce College in Kent, Washington, in 2022, was named to the All-West Coast Conference first team after leading the Waves with 17.2 points and 9.9 rebounds per game as a junior. He also shot 47.0% from behind the arc. Per On3.com's transfer portal rankings, Ajayi is the fourth-best player in the country available.
Pepperdine is heading into a major transition period after it fired its head coach Lorenzo Romar, on top of potentially losing Jevon Porter, Houston Mallette, Nils Cooper, Malik Moore and Jalen Pitre in the transfer portal. The Waves are set for an entirely new starting five once fifth-year guard Ethan Anderson graduates this spring.
In total, Pepperdine is set to lose seven of its top eight scorers from this past season.
For the Bulldogs, balancing the transfer portal and the NCAA Tournament is nothing new. Graham Ike was on a Zoom call with the coaching staff prior to last season's Sweet 16 matchup with UCLA. If the reported interest in Ajayi is factual, then that will be worth monitoring as Gonzaga heads off to Salt Lake City for its first-round matchup against McNeese State.
Michael Ajayi
Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea, USA TODAY Sports
