Report: Washington Adds SF Samuel Ariyibi to 2021 Class

On the heels of multiple players transferring the Huskies have finally added a new player as international recruit Samuel Ariyibi has reportedly committed to Washington per Travis Branham of 247 Sports.

The 19 years old Ariyibi is listed at 6’8 and 190 pounds give or take an inch or 5 pounds depending on the source. He is originally from Nigeria and played at the NBA Africa Academy.

Given that Ariyibi is international there’s not a ton of information available about him. The primary scouting report I was able to find is written by someone from Turkey in only so-so English and lists him as having a 6’1 wingspan which is clearly a typo (another source says 6’11). But the description detailed is that Ariyibi profiles primarily as a plus defender that should be an ideal fit for the corner of the zone with his length and athleticism. On the offensive end it sounds like he can hit an open midrange jumper but is at his best as a lob finisher/dunker around the basket.

The Huskies haven’t gone the international route very often in the recent past but it’s definitely a way to try to find overlooked talent. Until Ariyibi shows up in Seattle and we see him on the court he’ll be a pretty big unknown. But it’s clear that from an athletic profile that Ariyibi seems to fit as a prototypical 3/4 in the Syracuse zone and this is an attempt for Hop to go back to recruiting guys for his system rather than gambling on local guys that seemingly don’t fit his preferred approach.

I don’t normally like linking to Facebook but NBA Academy Africa has a video that includes a few highlights of Samuel.

We’ll have more on Ariyibi as it becomes available.