A. J. Edu

Ariel John Litang Edu[1] (born January 1, 2000)[2] is a Cypriot-born Filipino professional basketball player for Toyama Grouses of the Japanese B.League. Listed at 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m) and 224 pounds (102 kg), he plays the power forward and center positions. He is a member of the Philippine men's national basketball team.

In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Litang and the surname or paternal family name is Edu.
A. J. Edu
Edu in 2022
No. 15 – Toyama Grouses
PositionPower forward / center
LeagueB.League
Personal information
Born (2000-01-01) January 1, 2000
Cyprus
NationalityFilipino / Cypriot
Listed height6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight224 lb (102 kg)
Career information
High schoolSGS College (Bristol, England)
CollegeToledo (2018–2023)
Playing career2023–present
Career history
2023–presentToyama Grouses
Career highlights and awards
  • MAC All-Freshman Team (2019)

Early life and career

Edu was born in Cyprus to a Nigerian father Ayotunde Edu and Filipina mother Josie Litang-Edu.[3] His mother is a native of Surigao City, Philippines but moved to England for work after finishing her education. She met Edu's father, a mathematics and physics professor.[2] Standing 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m), Ayotunde played basketball in his home country before becoming a high school coach in Wales.[1]

Edu began playing basketball at the age of seven in the junior ranks of Cypriot club AEL Limassol. He also played soccer in his childhood but began focusing on basketball due to his exceptional height.[4] After his family moved to England a few years later, Edu joined the Bristol Flyers cadet team and the Swansea Storm in the Wales League. With Swansea, he established himself as a top player at the under-16, under-18, and men's first division levels.[5] With the Flyers, he trained with many former college basketball players.[4] In 2017, Edu began playing for South Gloucestershire and Stroud College in Bristol, England, where he was considered one of the top prospects in the country while competing in the Elite Academy Basketball League (EABL).[6] After the 2017–18 season, he was named EABL West Conference Defensive Player of the Year, averaging 18.6 points, 14.7 rebounds, and 2.7 blocks per game.[7] In 2018, he was invited to a Basketball Without Borders camp in Los Angeles.[8]

College career

On April 12, 2018, Edu signed a National Letter of Intent with the Toledo Rockets under head coach of Tod Kowalczyk.[9] He played all 33 games, averaging 3.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and a team-high 1.7 blocks in 14.3 minutes per game. Edu recorded 57 blocks in the season, the most by a freshman in program history.[10] He was named to the Mid-American Conference (MAC) All-Freshman Team.[11] Edu missed his entire sophomore season recovering from a knee injury suffered at the 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup.[12] In December 2020, Edu tore his meniscus and missed the rest of the season. On July 9, 2021, he tore his left ACL during a practice.[13]

Professional career

Toyama Grouses (2023–present)

On June 20, 2023, Edu signed his first professional contract with the Toyama Grouses of the B.League.[14][15]

National team career
Edu during the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup

Edu was granted Filipino citizenship from a young age after difficulties in receiving a Cypriot passport, which made him eligible to play for the Philippines in FIBA competition.[2] However, he still drew interest from the Nigeria, Cyprus, and Great Britain.[2] In 2017, Edu joined the Philippines at the FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup in Chengdu, China.[16] He debuted for the Philippines at the 2018 FIBA Under-18 Asian Championship in Bangkok, Thailand.[17] In 6 games, Edu averaged 14.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks per game, finishing with 4 double-doubles. He led his team to a fourth-place finish at the tournament, giving them a berth for the 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup.[18] About two minutes into his first game at the Under-19 World Cup, Edu suffered a torn ACL and torn meniscus in his right knee, as well as a hairline fracture on his right femur. He missed the rest of the tournament with the injury.[19]

Edu was included in the 21-man pool for the 2023 FIBA World Cup,[20] where he was eventually included in the final 12-man lineup.[21]

Career statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

College
Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2018–19 Toledo 33114.3.387.182.7503.9.7.31.73.6
2020–21 Toledo 2223.5.143.0.07.0.5.02.01.0
2021–22 Toledo 202.5.0.0.250.5.0.5.00.5
2022–23 Toledo 35012.2.492.0.7123.0.3.2.82.8
Career 72313.2.417.182.7143.5.5.21.23.1

References
  1. Almo, Alder (August 28, 2014). "Fil-Nigerian 6-7 kid eyes Gilas stint". The Philippine Star. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  2. Flojo, Enzo (August 18, 2016). "Is AJ Edu the new hope of PH basketball?". Fox Sports Asia. Archived from the original on April 15, 2019. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  3. "Edu family connects with SBP". The Philippine Star. August 22, 2016. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  4. Wawrzyńczuk, Bronisław (January 29, 2018). "Meet AJ Edu – best Europe-based prospect you may still not know". Eurospects. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  5. "6-foot-9 Fil-Nigerian wants to play for Batang Gilas". ABS-CBN Corporation. November 11, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  6. "AJ Edu highlight reel shows big leap in Fil-Nigerian sensation's game". Philippine Entertainment Portal. December 19, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  7. "EABL 2017-18 Individual Award Winners Revealed". EABL. March 21, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  8. Araneta, Chuck (February 19, 2018). "AJ Edu is ready to take on the world". ESPN. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  9. "Toledo Signs AJ Edu to National Letter of Intent". University of Toledo Athletics. April 12, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  10. "AJ Edu". University of Toledo Athletics. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  11. "Four Rockets Receive MAC Postseason Honors". University of Toledo Athletics. March 11, 2019. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  12. Villanueva, Eros (April 8, 2020). "AJ Edu on track in recovery from knee injury". ESPN. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  13. Matel, Philip (July 9, 2021). "Gilas Youth center AJ Edu suffers third knee injury, tears ACL again". ESPN. Retrieved December 24, 2021.
  14. "エージェー・エドゥ選手(新規) 契約基本合意のお知らせ" [Ajay Edu (new player) Notice of contract basic agreement]. grouses.jp (in Japanese). June 20, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  15. "AJ Edu to play for Toyama Grouses in B.League". news.abs-cbn.com. June 20, 2023. Retrieved June 21, 2023.
  16. "AJ Edu in town to make Philippine team debut in Fiba 3x3 U-18 World Cup in China". Philippine Entertainment Portal. June 15, 2017. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  17. "FIBA Asia Under 18: Newcomers AJ Edu, Dalph Panopio leading way for Batang Gilas". ABS-CBN Corporation. August 8, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  18. "AJ Edu Helps Philippines Qualify for 2019 FIBA Under-19 World Cup". University of Toledo Athletics. August 13, 2018. Retrieved October 15, 2018.
  19. "U19 World Cup over for Edu, Philippines star out with ACL tear". FIBA. June 30, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  20. Terrado, Reuben (June 6, 2023). "Clarkson, Brownlee, Kouame head 21-man Gilas pool for World Cup". spin.ph. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
  21. Ventura, Sid (August 23, 2023). "Gilas Pilipinas confirm final 12 for FIBA World Cup". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
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