Deji Ibitayo

[zippyman23]

highmajorscoop "Late Night Scoop:Deji Ibitayo/6-foot-3/2011/Guard from Chicago, IL (Rich Central H.S.) has committed to Keith Dambrot and the Akron Zips."

http://twitter.com/highmajorscoop/status/23976755736

[Blue & Gold]

Here's a blurb on Deji from a blogger covering a Milwaukee AAU tourney.

• The undervalued Deji Ibitayo of Rich Central, who plays with a solid Illinois Defenders team, continues to wow coaches and scouts with his great body and athleticism. The Hoops Report continues to love his upside. He is a high flyer who is still developing his skills on the perimeter. But Ibitayo is a high-major athlete who will surely draw continued interest throughout July.

Sounds great! I've been coveting a 6-3 athletic guard!

But... we have room for him? Someone has to be transferring out, right?

[Captain Kangaroo]

See ya Dylan Ennis.

[Blue & Gold]

More on Deji, this time from a blog entitled CITY/SUBURBAN HOOPS REPORT by Joe Henricksen

"There are always late bloomers. And there are always players who haven't been talked about or have been hardly noticed that grab people's attention in the spring and summer before their senior year. The City/Suburban Hoops Report hits on a few of those individuals, with more to come over the next several months, as they are all primed to spring forward in both player rankings, name recognition and as college prospects. ... • DEJI IBITAYO, 6-3, Olympia Fields (Rich Central)

Maybe the least known among this chosen group, this high-flying wing will be opening eyes throughout the spring and summer. Ibitayo, who had a solid and productive junior year at Rich Central, is as athletic as any player in the state of Illinois. While his jaw-dropping athleticism and crazy hops have been his trademark, Ibitayo is slowly improving his skill level. He's made strides, looking better at the free throw line and looking more comfortable handling the ball on the perimeter, but he will have to continue making those strides and work on the mechanics of his jumper."

[Quickzips]

Not sure yet how I feel about this pickup. The video is kind of grainy and doesn't always give you good angles of his play. He certainly seems to know how to finish around the rim, but his form on his jump shot doesn't look very strong to me. Seems to hold the ball kind of low and has a long release. He'll struggle to get that shot off at the next level, and it seems KD likes to put a lot of emphasis on guards who can fire away from long distance.

As far as where this scholarship comes from I have no idea, but then again, we went through this last year as well with the late addition of Euton. The staff has to either be expecting someone to transfer out, or that one of the two greyshirts (Harney and Treadwell) won't be able to make the grades.

[skip-zip]

All I really paid attention to was "6-3 Guard" and "High Flyer"

Bring him on !!

[Quickzips]

All I really paid attention to was "6-3 Guard" and "High Flyer"

Bring him on !!

Athleticism seems to be a new focus for Dambrot and Co. on the recruiting trail, which I think is a welcome sign for most folks around here. We've gone about as far as we are going to go recruiting under-sized and not particularly athletic guys who have high basketball IQ's. It was time for a change. We've gotten a lot of guys now over these last two classes that are much more athletic (Egner, Gilliam, Diggs, Treadwell, Harney, Ibitayo). But at the same time I think we need to recognize that this approach is not without its risks. Highly athletic guys don't always make very good basketball players. The best athlete in the world isn't going to help much on the floor if he has no grasp on the fundamentals of the game. The first example that comes to mind for me is always Quade Milum. Athleticism to spare, but could never put it all together. Just didn't have that good grasp of the game that was needed to be a consistent performer on the floor. Now hopefully we are getting guys who are not simply athletes but also have the necessary understanding of the game that they need to succeed. From the sounds of it, guys like Gilliam, Treadwell and Harney all fit that bill. Ibitayo appears to have some work to do when it comes to fundamentals. Egner and Diggs look to fall somewhere in between. If it all works out, I think this approach can get us to the point where we can make some deep tournament runs. If a lot of these guys don't pan out, the potential is there for us to take a big step back. KD is taking a big risk here. I think it needed to be done, but I'm certainly interested in how it pans out.

[Captain Kangaroo]

All I really paid attention to was "6-3 Guard" and "High Flyer"

Bring him on !!

Athleticism seems to be a new focus for Dambrot and Co. on the recruiting trail, which I think is a welcome sign for most folks around here. We've gone about as far as we are going to go recruiting under-sized and not particularly athletic guys who have high basketball IQ's. It was time for a change. We've gotten a lot of guys now over these last two classes that are much more athletic (Egner, Gilliam, Diggs, Treadwell, Harney, Ibitayo). But at the same time I think we need to recognize that this approach is not without its risks. Highly athletic guys don't always make very good basketball players. The best athlete in the world isn't going to help much on the floor if he has no grasp on the fundamentals of the game. The first example that comes to mind for me is always Quade Milum. Athleticism to spare, but could never put it all together. Just didn't have that good grasp of the game that was needed to be a consistent performer on the floor. Now hopefully we are getting guys who are not simply athletes but also have the necessary understanding of the game that they need to succeed. From the sounds of it, guys like Gilliam, Treadwell and Harney all fit that bill. Ibitayo appears to have some work to do when it comes to fundamentals. Egner and Diggs look to fall somewhere in between. If it all works out, I think this approach can get us to the point where we can make some deep tournament runs. If a lot of these guys don't pan out, the potential is there for us to take a big step back. KD is taking a big risk here. I think it needed to be done, but I'm certainly interested in how it pans out.

I see absolutely no risk.

If KD wants to elevate the program, he's had 6 years to see what 5'11" guards can do for him. He's hit the ceiling with his "Plan A" recruits. Now it is time for Plan B.

He's not recruiting any thugs. No kids with checkered pasts.

The Prop 48 kids he's recruited in 2010 all come from good families and are, character-wise, good kids.

But both did not take their HS studies seriously. Hence why both are so ridiculously talented, yet only played 1 yr of HS ball each.

I fear absolutely nothing with the Zips new recruiting philosophy. It has worked for K.e.n.t. State for 12 years, through 3 different coaches.

K.e.n.t. has been kicking our ass in hoops. If we want to compete with K.e.n.t., we needed to change something.

Might our graduation rates dip a bit? Yes. But they might not.

Might the Zips have a greater upside now? Yes. With Plan A, they would not.

I look forward to matching up with the size and athleticism of the better A-10 schools. It will be fun. So will beating K.e.n.t.

[Quickzips]

All I really paid attention to was "6-3 Guard" and "High Flyer"

Bring him on !!

Athleticism seems to be a new focus for Dambrot and Co. on the recruiting trail, which I think is a welcome sign for most folks around here. We've gone about as far as we are going to go recruiting under-sized and not particularly athletic guys who have high basketball IQ's. It was time for a change. We've gotten a lot of guys now over these last two classes that are much more athletic (Egner, Gilliam, Diggs, Treadwell, Harney, Ibitayo). But at the same time I think we need to recognize that this approach is not without its risks. Highly athletic guys don't always make very good basketball players. The best athlete in the world isn't going to help much on the floor if he has no grasp on the fundamentals of the game. The first example that comes to mind for me is always Quade Milum. Athleticism to spare, but could never put it all together. Just didn't have that good grasp of the game that was needed to be a consistent performer on the floor. Now hopefully we are getting guys who are not simply athletes but also have the necessary understanding of the game that they need to succeed. From the sounds of it, guys like Gilliam, Treadwell and Harney all fit that bill. Ibitayo appears to have some work to do when it comes to fundamentals. Egner and Diggs look to fall somewhere in between. If it all works out, I think this approach can get us to the point where we can make some deep tournament runs. If a lot of these guys don't pan out, the potential is there for us to take a big step back. KD is taking a big risk here. I think it needed to be done, but I'm certainly interested in how it pans out.

I see absolutely no risk.

If KD wants to elevate the program, he's had 6 years to see what 5'11" guards can do for him. He's hit the ceiling with his "Plan A" recruits. Now it is time for Plan B.

He's not recruiting any thugs. No kids with checkered pasts.

The Prop 48 kids he's recruited in 2010 all come from good families and are, character-wise, good kids.

But both did not take their HS studies seriously. Hence why both are so ridiculously talented, yet only played 1 yr of HS ball each.

I fear absolutely nothing with the Zips new recruiting philosophy. It has worked for K.e.n.t. State for 12 years, through 3 different coaches.

K.e.n.t. has been kicking our ass in hoops. If we want to compete with K.e.n.t., we needed to change something.

Might our graduation rates dip a bit? Yes. But they might not.

Might the Zips have a greater upside now? Yes. With Plan A, they would not.

I look forward to matching up with the size and athleticism of the better A-10 schools. It will be fun. So will beating K.e.n.t.

I've got no qualms at all about our recruits as far as academics go. Some kids take some time to truly grasp the importance of academics, even though they are otherwise solid, standup citizens. It sounds like Harney and Treadwell fit that bill. No problem with that. The uneasiness I have is with on-court performance, particularly with guys like Ibitayo where he's shown flushes of what he can do with all that athleticism, but has never consistently put it all together. Incredible athletes who are described with phrases like, "slowly improving his skill level," "will have to continue making strides," and "work on the mechanics of his jumper," scare me. I guess it is just residual nightmares from getting excited over watching the last uber-athlete we had through here (Quade) tantilize us with one brilliant game and then disappear for the next two months. Nothing is to say that Deji or any of our other guys will end up like that, but when you start focusing on athleticism you do take the risk that you will end up with a bunch of athletes who couldn't put the ball in the ocean from the beach.

I'm also not quite as concerned with beating Can't as you. Don't get me wrong, I love beating Can't. I also realize that the way we've been built the last few years we don't match up well with Can't. I just don't want to get so focused on the rivalry that we build a team that is solely designed to beat the flushes and struggles against a lot of other programs.

[Zip Watcher]

It will never cease to amaze me that some fans can pan a recruit within a half day of hearing of them for the first time. It's astonishing, really.

Welcome aboard Deji! Glad to have your commitment.

B) B)

Go Zips!

[Captain Kangaroo]

I'm also not quite as concerned with beating Can't as you. Don't get me wrong, I love beating Can't. I also realize that the way we've been built the last few years we don't match up well with Can't. I just don't want to get so focused on the rivalry that we build a team that is solely designed to beat the flushes and struggles against a lot of other programs.

That's akin to saying -- "I don't want to build a team that's solely designed to beat UCLA, and struggles with a lot of other programs."

If your team consistently beats K.e.n.t, who's been a premier basketball program in the MAC for over a decade, you will not struggle with a lot of other programs. You'll beat a lot of them. And win a lot of championships.

[zippyman23]

Getting more athletic kids is great, but the tradeoff is that they are most likely lacking in other areas of their game. If they were complete players, they would be heading off to BCS schools. Now, if they develop their games, in a couple years they can turn out to be the type of player BCS schools are kicking themselves for not recruiting.

[ZachTheZip]

The big question is: Where is this scholarship coming from?

[Dave in Green]

"As athletic as any player in the state of Illinois" is what grabbed me. Many of us were begging for players with more hops at the risk of weaker fundamentals, so none of us can complain that KD hasn't delivered. But Quickzips brings up a good point of just how far you can shift from one to the other without increasing the risk of going too far the other way.

Ideally you'd want a good balance of athletic abilities and fundamentals, and maybe this new group of players will end up having that balance. So far we're trying to figure where all these players balance out based on what others are saying and not on our own observations. You have to think that KD believes that any shortcomings in fundamentals any of these players might have can be improved with good coaching, and that he and his staff are up to the challenge.

We always have to remember that the HS players who have shown both great fundamentals and great athleticism are almost all going to sign with established college basketball powers. So most players that would consider UA are going to be weaker in one or both areas. It comes down to going after the ones with the most potential to improve in their areas of weakness.

Everything I read about Ibitayo tells me he's a late bloomer who came out of nowhere, and could have a huge upside if he keeps working hard and improving. This Chicago Tribune article is especially revealing about his work ethic, unselfishness and sense of loyalty:

Chicago Tribune Link

[Quickzips]

The big question is: Where is this scholarship coming from?

I doubt we will find that out until next spring. I don't think even KD and the staff really know at this point. Just like this past recruiting season, you might see one or two guys leaving the program either at the request of the staff (such as Swiech) or on their own accord (such as Humpty). No idea who that might be, although with the logjam at the forward spots it wouldn't surprise me at all to see one of our forwards make a move looking for more playing time. Could also come from Harney or Treadwell not making the grades to obtain their scholarship or a late de-commit.

[Captain Kangaroo]

I can't understand being worried about a Chicago-area recruit, a 6' 3" guard who can jump out of the gym, who led his team in scoring, rebounds and assists as a Junior.

Zips basketball fans worry about too much. You should be celebrating and popping champagne corks, and instead you're consumed with fear of shooting someone in the eye.

[Zip Watcher]

I can't understand being worried about a Chicago-area recruit, a 6' 3" guard who can jump out of the gym, who led his team in scoring, rebounds and assists as a Junior.

Zips basketball fans worry about too much. You should be celebrating and popping champagne corks, and instead you're consumed with fear of shooting someone in the eye.

+50

[skip-zip]

I'm following Quick and Captain's discussion here particularly.....

Quick.....I do understand your concern about these guys being athletes, but not basketball players. You can certainly get another Quade M. with guys like this. I also understand your comment about his shooting mechanics, and I do see the somewhat-long release, but actually he looks pretty smooth, which is encouraging for a 16 year old. Unfortunately we don't get guys who have the kind of long-range releases like Dials and McNees every day.

But Captain, I'm really with you on this. We need to do this to reach a higher level. Other than the couple of years we had those very talented teams with Romeo/Dru/Woods, Ken+ has been better than us for quite some time, and in some stretches, they've been much better than us (gosh, I hate saying that). We have no choice but to focus on how we match up with them, as long as they are going to be the team that perenially sits near the top of the standings.

Sometimes, I just grow a little tired of "we know he's a good kid", and "he has a good understanding of the game". Sorry. I'm ready to see some guys here who can elevate on a guy like Singletary, dunk in his face, stare at him while he's laying there on the floor, and just walk stroll back down to the other end of the floor like it was effortless!!

I think the fans would love it too

[Blue & Gold]

I'm actually much more excited about watching next year's Zips than I am about watching this year's Zips.

Kinda weird.

We should be a tear with the athleticism KD's assembled orbiting around a 3rd-year Zeke Marshall.

[zippyman23]

I still have big concerns with our depth at PG. Unless there are any more changes, Abreau will be the only PG on the roster. Really hope Abreau is the real deal because he is going to have to play a lot.

[skip-zip]

I still have big concerns with our depth at PG. Unless there are any more changes, Abreau will be the only PG on the roster. Really hope Abreau is the real deal because he is going to have to play a lot.

I'm still waiting for some information that indicates that there is any chance that our coach would replace his current starting PG, who he obviously trusts to run his offense, is a senior, clearly our floor leader, and has come up big for us in several critical, pressure situations over the last couple of seasons.

And we'll replace him and turn the reigns of the team over to a guy who's yet to even wear a Zips uniform?

I'm thinking the chances of that happening are pretty remote.

[Quickzips]

I still have big concerns with our depth at PG. Unless there are any more changes, Abreau will be the only PG on the roster. Really hope Abreau is the real deal because he is going to have to play a lot.

I'm still waiting for some information that indicates that there is any chance that our coach would replace his current starting PG, who he obviously trusts to run his offense, is a senior, clearly our floor leader, and has come up big for us in several critical, pressure situations over the last couple of seasons.

And we'll replace him and turn the reigns of the team over to a guy who's yet to even wear a Zips uniform?

I'm thinking the chances of that happening are pretty remote.

Steve is a senior. We can't just be thinking about this year. 2011 we still have only one PG on the roster (Abreu). That is more of what people are concerned with right now. We should be alright at PG this year with Steve and Alex. The debate about who should get the bulk of the minutes at PG is a whole different topic.

[zippyman23]

I still have big concerns with our depth at PG. Unless there are any more changes, Abreau will be the only PG on the roster. Really hope Abreau is the real deal because he is going to have to play a lot.

I'm still waiting for some information that indicates that there is any chance that our coach would replace his current starting PG, who he obviously trusts to run his offense, is a senior, clearly our floor leader, and has come up big for us in several critical, pressure situations over the last couple of seasons.

And we'll replace him and turn the reigns of the team over to a guy who's yet to even wear a Zips uniform?

I'm thinking the chances of that happening are pretty remote.

I'm not talking about this year. I'm looking ahead to 2011 since this is a thread on a 2011 commit.

[skip-zip]

I still have big concerns with our depth at PG. Unless there are any more changes, Abreau will be the only PG on the roster. Really hope Abreau is the real deal because he is going to have to play a lot.

I'm still waiting for some information that indicates that there is any chance that our coach would replace his current starting PG, who he obviously trusts to run his offense, is a senior, clearly our floor leader, and has come up big for us in several critical, pressure situations over the last couple of seasons.

And we'll replace him and turn the reigns of the team over to a guy who's yet to even wear a Zips uniform?

I'm thinking the chances of that happening are pretty remote.

I'm not talking about this year. I'm looking ahead to 2011 since this is a thread on a 2011 commit.

Got it. I'm still surprised at the number of comments we get here about Steve being replace at the point this year.

[Quickzips]

I still have big concerns with our depth at PG. Unless there are any more changes, Abreau will be the only PG on the roster. Really hope Abreau is the real deal because he is going to have to play a lot.

I'm still waiting for some information that indicates that there is any chance that our coach would replace his current starting PG, who he obviously trusts to run his offense, is a senior, clearly our floor leader, and has come up big for us in several critical, pressure situations over the last couple of seasons.

And we'll replace him and turn the reigns of the team over to a guy who's yet to even wear a Zips uniform?

I'm thinking the chances of that happening are pretty remote.

I'm not talking about this year. I'm looking ahead to 2011 since this is a thread on a 2011 commit.

Got it. I'm still surprised at the number of comments we get here about Steve being replace at the point this year.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm among those leading the charge to see more McNees at SG this year, and I have my reasons why, but that is really a discussion for another place and time.