Deji Ibitayo

Height:
6-3
Weight:
205
Class:
Freshman
Hometown:
Country Club Hills, Ill.
High School:
Rich Central High School

A big, diversified guard that can play anywhere on the floor ... great athlete with the potential to be a good scorer and a lock down defender ... boasts a 6-foot-9 wingspan ... first name is pronounced DEE-gee ... last name is pronounced ee-bee-TIE-o.

as a Freshman (2011-12): Appeared in 10 games, making one start, while battling a knee injury during the season … made his Akron debut against Duquesne (Nov. 19) after sitting out the first three games due to injury … recorded three points and four boards against Detroit (Nov. 26) … made his first collegiate start against North Carolina A&T on Dec. 21, posting two points, two rebounds and one assist … had a season-best 11 points against Florida A&M on Dec. 17 … saw his last action of the season at Miami (Ohio) on Jan. 7.

at Rich Central High School: Was a three-time All-Southland Conference performer for RCHS ... averaged 16 points and two boards for the Olympians as a senior ... averaged 12 points, six rebounds, three assists and four blocks per game as a junior and 8.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.3 blocks per game as a sophomore ... led the Olympians to a spot in the Class 3A Regional Semifinals as a senior and a berth in the regionals as a junior ... named to the 2010 Rich South McDipper High School Basketball All-Tournament team ... helped RCHS to the 2009 Ottawa Thanksgiving Tournament championship ... earned a spot on the all-tournament team at the 2010 Galesburg Thanksgiving Boys Basketball Tournament after helping RCHS to a 3-1 record ... was an honors student in the classroom.

Personal: Born Jan. 12, 1993, in Evanston, Ill. ... son of Adekunle A. and Melinda Ibitayo ... has two siblings, brother Adekunle, Jr. (20) and sister Adesola (16) ... his uncle, Timothy Tyler, played tennis at Howard ... his cousin, Olayinka Sanni, played for the Detroit Shock of the WNBA ... currently has a cousin, Supo Sanni, playing football the University of Illinois ... speaks some Yoruba, which is a dialect from West Africa and is the dialect of his father, Adekunle ... majoring in business administration.