In basketball, the Metros of Santiago announced the incorporation of power forward Abayomi Iyiola, a versatile American-Nigerian player who will occupy the spot left by Demetrius Treadwell.
The announcement was made by the general manager of the franchise, César Saint Hilaire, who valued the immediate impact that the new reinforcement can bring: “Iyiola is a player with great presence in the paint, excellent on the boards and with notable efficiency in field goals. His arrival brings depth and energy to our interior zone”.
Iyiola will debut this same night with the Santiago-based team when the Meters face the Leones de Santo Domingo, at the iconic Club Mauricio Báez.
With a height of 2.08 meters (6’10”) and 98 kilograms (215 lbs), Abayomi Iyiola was born on January 20, 1998, in Ibadan, Nigeria, and was academically formed at the Greenforest-McCalep Christian Academy in Georgia, before embarking on a distinguished career in NCAA college basketball.
After not being selected in the NBA Draft in 2023, Iyiola began his professional career in the Lebanese Basketball League with the Hoops Club, where in the 2024–25 season he averaged 10.2 points, 11.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game, solidifying himself as a constant threat under the boards.
His collegiate career included stints at four prestigious institutions: at Stetson University (2017–2019) he shone with 10.8 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game in his second year, being included in the ASUN All-Freshman team; he then passed through University of Arkansas (2019–2021), where an injury limited his participation; he returned to a high level at Hofstra University (2021–2022), with 7.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, including four double-doubles; and closed his collegiate career with Kansas State University (2022–2023), participating in 31 games as part of the interior rotation.
With his incorporation, the Metros add physical power, international experience and young talent to their scheme, raising expectations for the regular season calendar and the route to the postseason.
credits for the images in this post: n.com.do
