The Valparaiso University men’s basketball program has announced the addition of Ola Ajiboye, a transfer from Central Michigan who will join the program as a sophomore for the 2023-24 campaign after spending his freshman campaign with the Chippewas.

During his maiden collegiate voyage, Ajiboye received immediate playing time, seeing action in 30 of his team’s 31 games while making 14 starts and averaging 19.3 minutes per game.

“A lot of schools showed interest in me in the portal, but Roger Powell is the one who pursued me the most,” Ajiboye said. “He connected with me from the start. When a school showed they wanted me that much, it definitely made me want to play for them. When Coach Powell and I had conversations, our goals lined up for both next season and the future. We’re looking to win, looking to build and looking to make some noise at Valpo.”

The 6-foot-8 forward ranked second on the team with 25 blocked shots and converted 44.1 percent of his field-goal attempts while grabbing 103 rebounds (47 offensive), dishing out 18 assists and swiping 20 steals.

“My strength is my defensive presence,” he said. “Me being on the floor shakes up the offense for opposing players. I make it hard for them to get buckets in the paint and I’m a good perimeter defender. I love taking charges; I took the most charges on our team last year. I’m also looking to be an offensive threat as a shooter, a dunker and someone who gets to the rim. I have a lot of excitement about coming to Valpo.”

Ajiboye attended Bosco Institute in Crown Point after playing at Evanston High School and Von Steuben High School. The Chicago native was named a top 25 Chicago Area Elite player.

He said being a part of Central Michigan’s 63-61 road upset of Michigan in Ann Arbor on Dec. 29 is one of his favorite basketball memories. His other highlight from this past season was beating Western Michigan 70-69 in front of a sold-out crowd in Mount Pleasant on Jan. 28.

“I’m extremely excited about my first signee,” Powell said. “He’s a huge addition to our program. He started multiple games in the MAC. He had high block numbers and is great defensively. Ola is a hard worker, and he is connected to Dave Maravilla at Don Bosco Prep. He’s going to have a big role for us as we build a winning program for the years to come.” 

Away from the court, Ajiboye enjoys meeting new people, playing table tennis, swimming and being around people.

“The first thing that people will recognize is that I’m a social guy,” Ajiboye said. “I like to meet new people; I’m going to try to meet as many people as I can. I like to stay positive. I’m really connected with God. I like to spread His word.”

Ajiboye holds the special distinction of being the first student-athlete to sign with the program during Powell’s head coaching tenure.

“Before I even met him, everything I heard about Coach Powell was how he is a great person, is very positive and is a friendly guy,” he said. “He’s going to help me become a better player and a better man. He’s already shown a lot of love for me. I’m going to help him as he helps me. I wanted to go to a program with a great coach, a great mentor and a person who believes in me. I’m very excited to come to Valpo and be a part of the community.”