Utah Valley head coach Mark Madsen has announced that Akron 7-foot center and former NBA Academy Africa standout Aziz Bandaogo has transferred to Utah Valley and will play for the Wolverines next season.

“Aziz Bandaogo has been a priority for UVU from the beginning,” said Madsen. “I am honored to welcome him and his family to the Utah Valley community. Aziz is a ferocious competitor who has invested thousands of hours honing his skills beginning at the SEED academy in Senegal and then on to the elite NBA Academy Africa. Aziz has great length at seven feet tall with a 7-3 wingspan.”

Bandaogo, a 7-foot, 215-pound center from Senegal, Africa, played in 33 games for Akron last season during his COVID freshman season. In 12.2 minutes per game, Bandaogo averaged 1.2 blocks, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.2 points a contest. He shot 48.8 percent from the field last season. Bandaogo had multiple blocks in 10 games this past season, including a career-high five against Point Park. He scored a season-high 11 points twice and pulled down five or more rebounds eight times. Bandaogo played just seven games during for Akron during the 2020-21 season due to COVID pandemic travel to the United States. In his two seasons at Akron, he averaged 2.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game.

“Out on the circuit, coaches always talk about wanting players with a good motor,” said Madsen. “Aziz has a jet engine. He flies around the court and makes his presence felt. One of the things I love about Aziz is his calm and friendly demeanor off the court contrasted with extreme toughness and grit when he steps into live play. Aziz makes rim protection look like child’s play. He uses great footwork and finishes strong at the rim. Aziz passes the ball in a way that makes everyone around him better. I could not be more excited to welcome Aziz to UVU.”

Bandaogo joined The NBA Academy Africa in October 2018. Originally based in Dakar, NBA Academy Africa relocated to Saly in November 2018 after the NBA opened a new state-of-the-art facility which is now the primary training location for NBA Academy prospects from across the continent.

Prior to joining The NBA Academy Africa, Bandaogo was part of SEED Project, an International NGO based in Senegal that uses basketball to engage more than 2,000 youth from Senegal and The Gambia in education and leadership development programs. In December 2018, Bandaogo competed alongside top prospects from the league’s academies in a series of exhibition games at the NBA G League Winter Showcase in Las Vegas. He also played for the NBA Academies select team in the 2018 and 2019 Tarkanian Classic.

In April 2019, Bandaogo was part of the NCAA’s Next Generation Sunday event at the 2019 Men’s Final Four where he participated in life-skills sessions and competed in exhibition games against his peers from around the world while experiencing aspects of the Final Four from a player’s perspective.

Bandaogo competed for The NBA Academy Africa in the 2019 NBA Academy Games in Atlanta, Georgia. The event featured prospects from the NBA Academies in Australia, China, India, Mexico, and Senegal, along with select teams comprised of top international prospects.

Bandaogo has three seasons of eligibility remaining and will compete for the Wolverines in the upcoming 2022-23 season.

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