NBA Draft Scouting Report: Pepperdine's Michael Ajayi
Michael Ajayi
Wing | Pepperdine
Height: 6'7” | Weight: 220 lbs
2024 Draft Age:
Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports
Prospect Profile
A former Junior College player with little to no recruiting hype coming out of high school, Ajayi found ways to showcase his skillset and ultimately land at Pepperdine for his junior season. Not only did his game translate to the Division I level, but he's absolutely thrived and has been one of the most productive players in the country.
On most nights, Ajayi is producing nearly 20 points and 10 rebounds. He's a double-double machine that can also fill it up from beyond the arc. On multiple attempts each game, he has been able to prove he is a legitimate floor spacer.
Standing at 6-foot-7, Ajayi projects to be a wing or combo forward, but actually has guard skills. Ajayi impacts the game in so many ways, which is clear when looking at his advanced statistics and box score metrics. He does the most with his time on the floor and is an efficient player who produces in almost every way. He isn't a primary facilitator, but can certainly operate as a connector and can dish the rock well for his size. He needs to improve defensively, but overall is a fairly well-rounded player.
At the end of the day, Ajayi is an extremely productive prospect who has an NBA frame and has faced adversity. Those are the types of prospects you can generally bet on, even if he isn't the traditional one-and-done from a prominent school.
Ajayi was extremely undersized growing up and into high school, which is how he developed guard skills. From there, he hit a growth spurt and his body developed into ultimately what it is today, which is another reason his abilities on the court have continued to reach new heights.
Highlights
Draft Projection
Potential Second-Round Pick in 2024 NBA Draft.
2024 Big Board
Want to know more about other potential 2024 NBA Draft prospects and where they might get selected? Check out our Draft Digest Big Board.
Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
For a free account and access to Cerebro Sports, the largest Basketball Player Database in the world, sign up here.