Deji Ibitayo

Height:
6-3
Weight:
205
Class:
Sophomore
Hometown:
Chicago, 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 lockdown defender ... boasts a 6-foot-9 wingspan ... has appeared intwo MAC Tournament games and one CollegeInsider.com PostseasonTournament contest … first name is pronounced DEE-gee ...last name is pronounced ee-bee-TIE-o.

as a Junior (2013-14): Appeared in 29 of 34games, making 20 starts … averaged career-highs in points(5.2), rebounds (2.2) and minutes per game (15.1) … postedsix double-figure scoring performances, including season-highs of14 points at Miami (Ohio) (Feb. 26) and against Western Michigan inthe MAC Tournament Semifinals (March 14) … came on at theend of the season, averaging 8.6 points and 2.4 rebounds per gameover the final eight contests (seven starts) … finished withseven games with at least five rebounds … blocked acareer-high three shots vs. South Carolina at the Hawaiian AirlinesDiamond Head Classic (Dec. 25) … played a career-high 34minutes vs. WMU in the MAC Semifinals … made at least one3-pointer in 16 games, including a personal-best four long balls atMiami (Ohio) (Feb. 26) and vs. WMU (March 14) … would haveranked seventh in the MAC in 3-point shooting had he qualified withenough attempts (.394).

as a Sophomore (2012-13): Appeared in 29games, making two starts ... averaged 3.0 points, 1.8 rebounds and0.7 assists per game ... reached double figures in the scoringcolumn on two occasions, including a career-high 16 points againstJohn Carroll (Nov. 12) ... scored 11 points at Northern Illinois(Jan. 12) ... had a solid game against Cleveland State on Dec. 23,scoring four points while grabbing a career-high seven boards anddishing out a career-high six assists ... missed Akron's NCAATournament contest against VCU on March 21 due to back spasms.

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

at Rich Central High School: Was athree-time All-Southland Conference performer for RCHS ... averaged16 points and two boards for the Olympians as a senior ... averaged12 points, six rebounds, three assists and four blocks per game asa junior and 8.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.3 steals and2.3 blocks per game as a sophomore ... led the Olympians to a spotin the Class 3A Regional Semifinals as a senior and a berth in theregionals as a junior ... named to the 2010 Rich South McDipperHigh School Basketball All-Tournament team ... helped RCHS to the2009 Ottawa Thanksgiving Tournament championship ... earned a spoton the all-tournament team at the 2010 Galesburg Thanksgiving BoysBasketball Tournament after helping RCHS to a 3-1 record ... was anhonors student in the classroom.

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