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PCC Men’s Basketball’s Faruk Oyalade Signs with UAV

Published on Friday, July 24, 2015 | 11:53 am
 
Signing day for Faruk Oyalade (lower right) as he is pictured with PCC head coach Michael Swanegan (left standing), University of Antelope Valley coach Brad Rogers (lower left) and PCC athletic director Tony Barbone (right standing), image by Sara Medina.

After two sparkling seasons at Pasadena City College, men’s basketball center Faruk Oyalade signed his scholarship letter of intent Tuesday to attend and play at the University of Antelope Valley (Lancaster). The 6-foot-7 incoming junior will play for the NAIA Pioneers in their inaugural season of basketball in 2015-16.

Oyalade was a PCC Elizabeth Jensen transfer scholarship winner in May and achieved to make the Lancers’ 2014-15 Scholar Baller list. In his sophomore season, he averaged a team best 7.9 rebounds to go with a 6.7 points scoring average. In all-important South Coast Conference North Division games, he raised his play at 8 points and 10 rebounds per contest.

A relentless rebounder, he broke the 200-rebound mark in both of his Lancers’ seasons. As a freshman in ’13-14, he helped PCC make the postseason for the first time in a decade, averaging 7.2 points and 6.7 rebounds. The team finished 21-10 and upset No. 5 seed Saddleback in the second round of the SoCal Regioinals.

PCC head coach Michael Swanegan was pleased with the development of Oyalade, who was raised and played basketball in Nigeria (The Amazing Grace High) before coming to the U.S.

“Faruk did everything we asked of him in his two seasons,” Swanegan said. “He’s one of the best players I’ve coached and he motivated himself to excel in the classroom. It allowed him to get a full scholarship. He’s a role model for students who work hard on and off the court.”

UAV head coach Brad Rogers echoed Swanegan’s praise of his newest recruit at a signing session held at PCC’s Hutto-Patterson Gymnasium.

“First thing that stood out about Faruk is his character,” Rogers said. “He’s going to graduate PCC with a 3.3 GPA and that academic success speaks volumes about him. On the court, he’s like a motor that doesn’t stop. He finishes well at the basket and he does the little things and the dirty work inside as a rebounder. He’s going to fit in well with us.”

Oyalade will play a UAV schedule that includes five games at NCAA Division I colleges, including Loyola Marymount and Weber State (Utah). The Pioneers are part of the California Pacific Conference and the ’15-16 season begins in November.

 

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