Front-lineman Chidi Ajufo, a transfer out of UC Santa Barbara, joins high school senior guards Mike Caffese and David Stafford as the first commitments to Azusa Pacific for the coming season.
Ajufo is a burly power-forward/center, who at 6-foot-6 240 pounds gives the Cougars a new physical presence in the key. The 23-year-old out of London, England, has played basketball for only a few years and is still somewhat raw. However, he is a terrific athlete who should get considerable playing time with Azusa Pacific. In his one season at UCSB, Ajufo appeared 14 games last year, averaging 1.2 points and 1.0 rebounds in 72 minutes of play for the 15-14 Gauchos. Ajufo also spent 2 seasons at Pensacola Junior College in Florida, redshirtting the 2004 season. As a 2005 freshman, he averaged 9 points, 5 rebounds and 3 blocked shots for the Pirates.
Caffese, a 5-foot-10, 175-pound point guard out of Tokay High in Lodi, Calif., averaged 11.6 points and 4.5 assists during his 2006 senior season while leading the Tigers to their first-ever CIF Sac-Joaquin Section championship and a 25-9 record. He was a 3-time All-Tri-City League honoree, earning MVP honors as a 2005 junior when he average 16 points and 4.4 assists for the 24-6 Tigers. Caffese is expected to help the Cougars right away at the point guard.
Stafford is a sharp-shooting 6-foot-2 guard from Las Lomas High in Walnut Creek, Calif. This past season he led the Knights to a 21-5 record, which included an 11-2 mark in the Diablo-Foothill League. Stafford averaged over 20 points the past 2 seasons and is a 3-time all-league honoree. In 4 CIF playoff games the past 2 years he averaged 25 points a game.
“This is a good start to our recruiting,” said Azusa Pacific coach Bill Odell. “We’re excited about what Chidi brings in terms of a physical presence. He could be our most physical player in 10 years. Mike and David are smart guards who I believe will develop into 2 key players for us over the course of time.”
Azusa Pacific is coming off a 30-6 season and an NAIA Elite Eight appearance. Over the past 4 years, the Cougars are 118-28 (.808), which includes a 67-13 (.838) record in GSAC play.
