NMSU lands commitment from former Pitt & Seton Hall standout Femi Odukale

(Courtesy: NMSU Athletics)

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico - On Wednesday morning, NM State men's basketball Head Coach Jason Hooten announced the addition of guard Femi Odukale.
 
Odukale spent two seasons at Pitt before transferring and playing his junior season at Seton Hall.

At both stops, Odukale proved his ability to play a starter's role against some of the premier competition at the Division I level.

Femi Odukale | Sr. | 6-6 | Guard | Brooklyn, N.Y. | Seton Hall | Pitt | Springfield Commonwealth Academy (Mass.) | South Shore HS

• Joins the Aggie team after making 32 starts in 33 appearances for Seton Hall during the 2022-23 season. With the Pirates, Odukale averaged 7.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game while playing for first-year head coach Shaheen Holloway.
• Brings a presence on the perimeter to the Crimson and White defense after leading Seton Hall and ranking eighth in the Big East in total steals with 52 last season. Also recorded multiple steals in 15 of the Pirates' games last year.
• Shot 44 percent from the field in his lone year with the Pirates while also pulling down a career-best 142 rebounds to help lead Seton Hall to its 18^th appearance in the National Invitation Tournament in school history.
• Tallied his first career double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) while playing all 40 minutes against Villanova on Feb. 28, 2023.
• Named Big East Honor Roll on March 5, 2023, after a week in which he averaged 16.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.0 steals while shooting 65% from the field. In addition, Odukale's week was bolstered by a performance against Providence in which he posted a career-high 19 points.
• Posted career numbers in 2021-22 as he completed his second year playing for Jeff Capel at the University of Pittsburgh. As a sophomore, Odukale was named to the All-ACC Academic Team for the second time in his career after averaging 10.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while appearing in 31 games and making 28 starts.
• In his final year with the Panthers, he drained a career-high 30 three-pointers and ranked inside the top 15 in the ACC in assists per game, total assists and free throw attempts.
• As one of just three Panthers to average double figures in 2021-22, Odukale scored 10-plus points on 18 different occasions. The Brooklyn, N.Y., native's best offensive performance came on Dec. 21, 2021, when he poured in 28 points while going 5-7 from beyond the arc in a win over Jacksonville. This showing led to Odukale earning ACC Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career.
• Shined in a road win over national runner-up North Carolina on Feb. 16, 2022, when he finished one assist shy of a double-double (10 points, nine assists).
• As a freshman in 2020-21, Odukale earned All-ACC Academic Team and ACC Honor Roll distinctions while appearing in all 22 games and making five starts for the Panthers.
• Averaged 6.6 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 46.6% from the field during his debut season at the collegiate level.
• Began to blossom in the closing stages of the season as he averaged 13.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game across the final five games. This included a season-high 28-point outburst in the opening round of the ACC Tournament against Miami when he finished 11-16 from the field.
• Prior to entering the collegiate ranks, Odukale played one prep season at Springfield Commonwealth Academy (Mass.) where he averaged 17.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 8.8 assists, 1.2 blocks and 2.7 steals per game.
• In his lone season with SCA, he helped lead the Tornadoes to a 30-7 record, including a 12-0 mark in league play, a Power 5 Conference title and a spot in the quarterfinals of the National Prep Championship.
• Ahead of his time with SCA, he starred at South Shore High School in Brooklyn and helped his team to two PSAL championships.
• As a senior at South Shore, he led the Vikings to a 28-6 record, including a 17-2 mark in league play and a state playoff appearance. Thanks in part to Odukale's efforts, the Vikings finished the season ranked 10^th in the state of New York.
• Before signing with Pitt, Odukale was rated as the top player out of Massachusetts by the New England Recruiting Report. He was also ranked No. 145 overall by Rivals and listed as the No. 32 shooting guard in the class of 2020. Additionally, 247Sports ranked Odukale as the No. 170 overall player, the No. 31 shooting guard and the No. 1 prospect out of the state of Massachusetts.

 
QUOTABLE | Head Coach Jason Hooten
"We are extremely excited to sign a player of Femi's caliber. His ability to play at the one, two or three brings so much versatility to our team, and he has played in so many big games against the best competition in the country. Femi was looking for a program where he could play to his strengths and take his game to another level. With two years remaining, we felt that he could be an integral part of a winning program and help build our culture from day one."