MBB Adds Stony Brook Transfer Elijah Olaniyi
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – University of Miami head men’s basketball coach Jim Larrañaga announced Tuesday the signing of Elijah Olaniyi.
A transfer from Stony Brook, Olaniyi will sit out the 2020-21 campaign and then have one season of eligibility remaining.
“Elijah is a fantastic young man who brings a lot to the table, both on and off the court,” Larrañaga said. “He had three excellent seasons at Stony Brook and proved that he is a tremendous scorer and a superb rebounder. He received great coaching both there and at Newark East Side, so we know he comes in with a high basketball IQ. We’re excited to welcome Elijah to the Hurricane basketball family and look forward to helping him succeed.”
A 6-foot-5, 205-pound guard, Olaniyi earned First Team All-America East and NABC First Team All-District accolades in 2019-20 after leading the Seawolves in points (18.0) and rebounds (6.5) per game. He added 2.1 assists and 1.6 steals in 32.6 minutes per contest, while shooting 43.5 percent from the floor, including 36.1 percent beyond the arc.
Olaniyi scored double-digit points in 25 of 28 appearances, posting 20-plus on 15 occasions, including five times in a row, and twice logged at least 30. He notched 25 points at Providence and recorded five double-doubles on the season, four of which came in consecutive contests.
A third team all-league honoree as a sophomore after averaging 12.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, Olaniyi also earned America East Rookie of the Year accolades as a freshman.
Over his final two years at Stony Brook, Olaniyi led the team to a combined 44-22 record, including a 22-10 mark in conference play. He recorded 46 double-digit scoring performances in 59 outings, 56 of which were starts, over those two campaigns.
Olaniyi, who received interest from programs such as Arkansas, Minnesota, Nevada and Xavier before deciding on Miami, tallied 1,135 points in his three years with the Seawolves, good for 12.5 per game.
A 2015 state champion at Newark East Side (N.J.) High School, Olaniyi played AAU basketball for the New Jersey Roadrunners, the same program that produced players such as Kyrie Irving, Al Harrington and Randy Foye, the latter of whom also attended East Side.
Olaniyi is the third incoming recruit for the Hurricanes, joining a pair of high school standouts in guard Earl Timberlake and forward Matt Cross. The four-star prospects place No. 33 and No. 81, respectively, in the 247Sports Composite rankings.
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