TicketsCINCINNATI -- Cincinnati head men's basketball coach Wes Miller has announced the signing of Aziz Bandaogo (Ah-zeez Band-ae-go), a transfer from Utah Valley, ahead of the 2023-24 season.
Bandaogo, a native of Dakar, Senegal, played one season at UVU after spending 2020-22 at Akron, and he will have two seasons of eligibility remaining. ESPN ranked him as the No. 4 best-available portal prospect, and the 7-footer was the WAC Defensive Player of the Year.
"We played against Aziz in the NIT, and we were extremely impressed with his ability to impact both ends of the floor," Miller said. "Defensively, he's well-known for his rim presence as an elite shot blocker, but he also has great defensive versatility and can guard multiple positions. He runs the floor well and has shown the ability to finish above the rim in transition as well as pick-and-rolls. His improvement over the last few years is remarkable, and we believe he will continue to improve and showcase his entire game at Cincinnati."
Bandaogo averaged 11.4 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, including 15 and 12 against the Bearcats in the NIT Quarterfinals. He was third nationally in blocks (106), fourth in rebounding and ninth in double-doubles (17). He had two games of 17 rebounds, including at Wake Forest, plus a 14-point, 16-rebound game in his finale against UAB in the NIT Semis.
The Wolverines' 28 wins marked their most in program history, in addition to claiming the WAC regular-season title and road wins over BYU, Oregon, Colorado and New Mexico.
Bandaogo did not join Akron's team until the Spring 2021 semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic and U.S. travel, playing in seven games that season. He averaged 3.2 points and 3.3 rebounds over 12.7 minutes in 2021-22, starting five games as well before his explosion out west.
His prep career came in the NBA Academy Africa. In December 2018, Aziz 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, among several other elite stages.
2023-24 NEWCOMERS
Rayvon Griffith (SF, 6-7, 180, Cincinnati, Ohio / Compass Prep (Arizona))
Jizzle James (PG, 6-1, 180, Orlando, Fla. / Olympia HS)
DaVeon Thomas (PG, 6-0, 190, Columbia, S.C. / Kilgore College)
Jamille Reynolds (F, 6-10, 280, St. Petersburg, Fla. / Temple)
CJ Fredrick (G, 6-3, 185, Cincinnati, Ohio / Kentucky)
Simas Lukosius (G/F, 6-7, 225, Kaunas, Lithuania / Butler)
Aziz Bandaogo (F, 7-0, 230, Dakar, Senegal / Utah Valley)
SEASON TICKETS
Fans can learn more about packages for Cincinnati's inaugural Big 12 season, by visiting the online ticket office.
Bandaogo, a native of Dakar, Senegal, played one season at UVU after spending 2020-22 at Akron, and he will have two seasons of eligibility remaining. ESPN ranked him as the No. 4 best-available portal prospect, and the 7-footer was the WAC Defensive Player of the Year.
"We played against Aziz in the NIT, and we were extremely impressed with his ability to impact both ends of the floor," Miller said. "Defensively, he's well-known for his rim presence as an elite shot blocker, but he also has great defensive versatility and can guard multiple positions. He runs the floor well and has shown the ability to finish above the rim in transition as well as pick-and-rolls. His improvement over the last few years is remarkable, and we believe he will continue to improve and showcase his entire game at Cincinnati."
Bandaogo averaged 11.4 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, including 15 and 12 against the Bearcats in the NIT Quarterfinals. He was third nationally in blocks (106), fourth in rebounding and ninth in double-doubles (17). He had two games of 17 rebounds, including at Wake Forest, plus a 14-point, 16-rebound game in his finale against UAB in the NIT Semis.
The Wolverines' 28 wins marked their most in program history, in addition to claiming the WAC regular-season title and road wins over BYU, Oregon, Colorado and New Mexico.
Bandaogo did not join Akron's team until the Spring 2021 semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic and U.S. travel, playing in seven games that season. He averaged 3.2 points and 3.3 rebounds over 12.7 minutes in 2021-22, starting five games as well before his explosion out west.
His prep career came in the NBA Academy Africa. In December 2018, Aziz 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, among several other elite stages.
2023-24 NEWCOMERS
Rayvon Griffith (SF, 6-7, 180, Cincinnati, Ohio / Compass Prep (Arizona))
Jizzle James (PG, 6-1, 180, Orlando, Fla. / Olympia HS)
DaVeon Thomas (PG, 6-0, 190, Columbia, S.C. / Kilgore College)
Jamille Reynolds (F, 6-10, 280, St. Petersburg, Fla. / Temple)
CJ Fredrick (G, 6-3, 185, Cincinnati, Ohio / Kentucky)
Simas Lukosius (G/F, 6-7, 225, Kaunas, Lithuania / Butler)
Aziz Bandaogo (F, 7-0, 230, Dakar, Senegal / Utah Valley)
SEASON TICKETS
Fans can learn more about packages for Cincinnati's inaugural Big 12 season, by visiting the online ticket office.