(Phoenix, AZ) Ike Diogu’s No. 5 jersey will enter the Sun Devil rafters at Desert Financial Arena on Jan. 15, 2022, when the Sun Devil host Colorado at 8 p.m.
It would have been done a long time ago, but the ageless wonder has just kept playing, and that included competing at two Summer Olympiads in 2012 and 2016 for Nigeria. He was named MVP of the 2017 FIBA Afrobasket tournament after averaging 22 points, 8.7 rebounds. He played in the NBA from 2005-2012 and then has not stopped overseas.
How good was he? Check out some of the amazing nuggets and numbers below.
—Former NBA forward Ike Diogu joins Susanoo Magic (by Ed Odeven, Japan Times/Aug. 15, 2019)
THE FIRST
Arguably the most efficient player in college basketball in his three years and in 2004-2005 he became the first player in Pac-10 history to lead the league in scoring (22.6 ppg.), rebounding (9.8 rpg.) and blocks (2.34 bpg.) which led to Pac-10 Player of the Year honors in his final season.
ALL-AMERICA HONORSBecame the first Sun Devil to earn consensus All-American honors (second-team) in 2004-05. The first Associated Press preseason All-American in ASU history and just the 11th in Pac-10 history when he notched the honor in fall of 2003. An Associated Press Honorable Mention postseason selection twice (2002-03 and 2003-04).
THE AND-ONE KING
His demeanor and maturity were as good as his ability to draw fouls and convert three-point plays. On 88 occasions he was fouled while making a shot and made the ensuing free throw 67 times. Despite facing collapsing defenses he has notched double digits in all 91 games and posted less than 15 points just 12 times.
NOTHING BETTER THAN A BIG MAN WHO MAKES FREE THROWS
With 671 made free throws in his career, he trailed only UCLA’s Don MacLean (711 from 1988-92) in the Pac-10 record book when he finished his ASU career. His 854 attempts was second only to Stanford’s Adam Keefe (886 from 1988-92).
ANOTHER FIRST
He was the first Pac-10 player to lead the league in scoring in back-to-back years since Stan Love of Oregon did the trick in 1969-70 and 1970-71.
TOP-10 IN SCORING
Finished ninth in the nation in scoring his sophomore year (22.8 ppg.) and tied for fifth in junior year (22.6 ppg.).
WILD NUMBERS
Had 11 30-point games, 50 20-point games, 30 double-doubles and 15 other games with nine rebounds in his 91-game career.
GOT THE NCAA WIN
Led ASU to its first NCAA Tournament win since 1995 with a 22-point effort against Memphis in March of 2003.
ALL-AMERICAN HONORS
Ike Diogu earned consensus second-team All-American honors in 2004-2005, as he was honored as a second-team selection by the Associated Press, Sporting News, United States Basketball Writers (USBWA), the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and Basketball Times. First-team consensus honors went to seniors Wayne Simien (Kansas) and Hakim Warrick (Syracuse), juniors J.J. Redick (Duke) and Dee Brown (Illinois) and sophomores Chris Paul (Wake Forest) and Andrew Bogut (Utah). Second-team honors went to Diogu, seniors Luther Head (Illinois) and Salim Stoudamire (Arizona) and juniors Sean May (North Carolina) and Deron Williams (Illinois).
IN AND OUT OF PAC-10
Diogu’s career numbers were solid both in the Pac-10 and out. In his 91 games career, he averaged 21.4 points and 8.8 rebounds. He averaged 21.1 points and 8.8 rebounds in 54 regular season Pac-10 games and 21.8 points and 8.8 boards in the 37 non-conference games.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Doug Tammaro
