Ajayi Says Seton Hall is Favorite

Lekan Ajayi, a 6-foot-11, 240-pound senior center from Quality Education Academy (N.C.), says Seton Hall is his favorite after taking an unofficial there this past weekend.

“I really love Seton Hall,” Ajayi, who is averaging 9.5 points and 15.5 rebounds according to MaxPreps.com, said Monday morning by phone from North Carolina. “I’ve not made my decision yet, but right now I really love Seton Hall. I like what I see out there.”

During Seton Hall’s loss to Syracuse Saturday at The Prudential Center, Ajayi sat courtside near a slew of high-profile recruits, including 2012 guard Kyle Anderson of St. Anthony and 2014 big man Dakari Johnson of St. Patrick.

“It was really nice,” he said. “I’m really happy to go out there and see them play on an unofficial. I really like what I see.

“I saw the campus, the arena. I like the way they play. They put the ball in the  post. They utilize their big guys.”

Seton Hall can offer immediate playing time next year and has several scholarships to offer. The Pirates lost sophomore forward Ferrakohn Hall to transfer (Memphis), and senior Jeff Robinson, who has applied to the NCAA for a waiver for medical reasons, and junior Herb Pope, who could opt to turn pro, are unlikely to return, sources close to the program said.

“Academically, they’re really good,” Ajayi said. “Seton Hall is a private school. It’s a good education. It’s not all about basketball. I got a chance to go in there and play right away and help the team win.”

Ajayi came to the U.S. from Lagos, Nigeria in November 2009. Another reason he likes the Pirates is that one of his two brothers in the U.S., Abayomi Akande Ajayi, lives in Newark. Another brother lives in Oregon.

“My brother lives 10 minutes away from Seton Hall,” he said.

Ajayi said his list also includes Florida, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Loyola Marymount, but that he had crossed Wake Forest, Kansas, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Alabama off his list.

“Wake Forest is out of it,” he said of the school which is 10 minutes from the Quality Education campus and to which he has visited unofficially.

Ajayi must first consult with his father, Akande Ajayi, and his uncle, Godwin Owinje, before making a decision. He said his father is expected to come to the U.S. sometime within the next month and then they will take visits. His uncle lives in Washington, D.C.

“I’m going to visit some other schools but very soon I’m going to cut my list to two,” he said.

Ajayi says he’s fully qualified and maintains a 3.0 GPA and that he received a 1200 on the SAT.

Ajayi said he was also recruited by St. John’s, the same school to which two of his teammates, Sir’Dominic Pointer and Dwight Meikle, have signed for 2011.

All three players will be on display Saturday and Monday at the Big Apple Basketball Invitational at Baruch College.

Quality Education faces Amile Jefferson and Friends Central (Pa.) Saturday and Andre Drummond and St. Thomas More (Conn.) Monday.

A dozen Big East commits are expected at the event, including 2011 Seton Hall guard Freddie Wilson of Hillhouse (Conn.).

(Photo courtesy MaxPreps.com)

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