Despite an up-and-down season that didn't live up to fan expectations, Gonzaga forward Michael Ajayi remains a candidate to be selected in the 2025 NBA draft.
The 6'8 forward was a popular second round pick projection last spring after a stellar season at Pepperdine where he led the WCC in scoring, but he ultimately pulled his name out of the draft process on the final day and confirmed his decision to transfer to Gonzaga for his senior season.
Ajayi took a while to adjust to a new system in Spokane, and finished the regular season appearing in 30 games and making 13 starts while averaging 6.9 points and 5.5 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per night.
The numbers may not pop off the screen the way they did at Pepperdine, but that didn't stop On3 from including Ajayi among the top 75 prospects on its 2025 NBA draft Big Board.
Ajayi is the lone Zag on the list, coming in just ahead of Milan Momcilovic from Iowa State, Mackenzie Mgbako from Indiana, Zvonomir Ivisic from Arkansas and Mark Sears from Alabama.
The biggest knock for Ajayi this year has been the disappearance of his three point shot. He shot 47% in his lone season at Pepperdine, on 2.5 attempts per game, but that number plummeted to just 19.5% (8-41) with the Zags.
Still, Ajayi is a tenacious rebounder and improved defender who can take defenders off the dribble and hit a mid range jump shot. His size, physicality, and tenacity could be enough for him to get a look in the second round even coming off a rough season, especially if he performs well at the NBA draft combine.
The only other WCC player On3 listed in its top 75 was Washington State forward Cedric Coward (53) who only appeared in six games with the Cougars before going down with a season-ending injury.
Former Gonzaga commit Alex Toohey, who is playing professionally in Australia, came in at No. 47, while former Zag Hunter Sallis, now a senior at Wake Forest, was a surprise omission.
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This story was originally published March 9, 2025 at 3:02 PM.