New Wyoming men's head basketball coach Larry Shyatt announced Thursday the addition of two new players to the roster, with the signing of post Lekan Ajayi and point guard Derrious Gilmore to national letter of intent to play for the Cowboys beginning in the fall of 2011.
“Lekan (Ajayi) was a player we had an opportunity to recruit during this past year at the University of Florida,” Shyatt said. “As soon as I came to Wyoming and knew Lekan was still available, I felt he was someone who could make a major impact for our program for years to come. I’ve always been impressed with his motor, his ability to run the floor and his rebounding ability. We couldn’t be more delighted to have him become a part of our Wyoming family.
“He’s a young man who is committed to becoming a very good basketball player. He is also committed to continue being the best he can be in the classroom.
“In terms of his skills, he is a work in progress offensively, but he will be an instant presence as a defender, rebounder and shot blocker. He fits our style of play, because I feel he is a far better player in an uptempo game. Lekan provides us the inside presence we need for the future.”
ESPN’s Scouts Grade on Ajayi, 6-feet, 11 inches, 235 pounds, was 89 points out of a possible 100 points. ESPN also rated him a three-star recruit and ranked him as the No. 24 center in the country. He also took recruiting visits to Auburn, Wake Forest, Tennessee and Seton Hall.
A native of Lagos, Nigeria, he played his prep basketball at Quality Education Academy in Winston-Salem, N.C. His head coach was Isaac Pitts.
As a senior this past season, Ajayi averaged 9.5 points, 15.5 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. He helped lead Quality Education Academy to a 26-4 overall record and to the Division I National Christian Schools Athletic Association National Championship. Ajayi pulled down 24 rebounds in the national championship game. Quality Education Academy was the 25th ranked team in the country by MaxPreps.com this past season.
Gilmore, 5-9 and 165, comes to Wyoming from Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Miss.
Gilmore was named Second Team All-MACJC (Mississippi Association of Community/Junior Colleges). He averaged 12.3 points, 6.2 assists and 1.8 steals a game. He ranked No. 26 in the nation in assists among all division I junior college players. He was also a threat to score from three-point range, as he knocked down 44.7 percent (46-of-103) of his threes. The Jones Bobcats finished 15-10 in 2010-11 and earned a berth in the Region 23 Tournament.
“We are very pleased to have Derrious travel across the country from his home in Baltimore to join the Wyoming basketball family,” Shyatt said. “Derrious came highly recommended from our good friends at the University of West Virginia. He has most recently played for coach Don Skelton, who I have known for a long time and have a great deal of respect for. In fact, Don coached Jamar McKnight who was an All-ACC player for us at Clemson.
“Derrious has a tough edge about him on both ends of the floor. He is capable of playing either guard position, as he can shoot the ball at a high percentage and compliments that with his tremendous ball handling.”
A native of Baltimore, Md., Gilmore attended Lake Clifton High School. Following high school, he spent his freshman season at Pensacola Junior College in Florida, but transferred to Jones County after a coaching change at Pensacola.
Gilmore will have two years of eligibility remaining and will be a junior for the Cowboys next season.
Akai and Gilmore join Tyrone Marshall, a 6-8, 220-pound senior forward at George Washington High School in Denver, who signed with the Cowboys on April 18.
Marshall averaged 15 points, nine rebounds and six blocked shots per game his senior season at George Washington High School. He was named Honorable Mention All-State Class 5A by The Denver Post his senior season, and was named First Team All-Conference in the Denver Prep League. Marshall helped lead G.W. to an 18-7 overall record, a 6-2 conference mark and the Sweet 16 of the state playoffs this past season.
Another Colorado product, 6-1 guard Riley Grabau of Boulder, has told the Boulder Daily Camera that he will sign with Wyoming. Grabau averaged 20.8 points, 4.4 assists and 2.8 rebounds last year for Boulder High School.
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