Former BYU Players Atiki Ally Atiki, Marcus Adams Find New Transfer Destinations
May 9, 2024, 3:05 PM
Former BYU basketball center Atiki Ally Atiki will continue his college career at New Mexico. (Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
(Photo by Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
PROVO, Utah — Two former BYU basketball players have found new homes in the NCAA Transfer Portal.
Center/forward Atiki Ally Atiki has committed to the New Mexico Lobos. Forward Marcus Adams Jr. lands at Cal State Northridge.
Both players had commitment announcements on Thursday.
JUCO Advocate’s Brandon Goble shared the news of Atiki committing to New Mexico.
Former BYU basketball center Atiki Ally Atiki commits to New Mexico
6’10 BYU transfer Atiki Ally Atiki has committed to @LoboCoachPitino and the @UNMLoboMBB program.
Highlights: https://t.co/etTqWzotSb pic.twitter.com/SJzt61WEOF
— JUCOadvocate – Brandon Goble (@JUCOadvocate) May 9, 2024
Atiki was part of the BYU basketball program for three seasons. The 6-foot-10 big man arrived in Provo in 2021 as a raw project with endless upside. He only played in 28 organized basketball games before signing with the Cougars.
Despite his limited basketball experience, Atiki signed with BYU out of a prep school in Canada over offers from Oklahoma and San Diego State.
Atiki joins a New Mexico program that reached the NCAA Tournament a season ago.
This past season, Atiki showed signs that he was realizing his potential. During BYU’s nonconference schedule, Atiki had back-to-back double-figure scoring outputs against Bellarmine and Wyoming. However, the success in nonconference never materialized into a consistent role in Big 12 play.
Atiki only had three games during the Big 12 portion of the schedule, where he played more than 10 minutes.
Atiki played in 23 games this past season, averaging 11 minutes per appearance. He averaged four points and 2.9 rebounds per game.
Atiki played the 2023-24 season with a broken thumb injury.
He goes to New Mexico with one year of eligibility remaining but does have a redshirt available.
Marcus Adams Jr. signs with Cal State Northridge
He's coming home to LA. 🤩
The ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and top-50 national recruit in the 2023 class is Northridge bound!#GoMatadors x @marcusadams21 pic.twitter.com/l8wq6dTJ1s
— CSUN Men’s Basketball (@CSUNMBB) May 9, 2024
The 6-foot-8 forward from Torrance, California, appeared in only one game this past season at BYU.
Cal State Northridge is Adams’ fourth school in less than 12 months. He initially signed with Kansas out of high school and then transferred to Gonzaga. After a brief stay in Spokane, he landed at BYU. Now, he’s with a Matadors program that puts him closer to his family.
Adams experienced a tragedy during his freshman season at BYU after his father, Marcus Adams Sr., passed away in February.
During his one season at BYU, Adams was initially not expected to play due to the NCAA transfer rules governing transfers outside of the transfer portal window. Then, he was cleared to play once a West Virginia judge put a restraining order on the NCAA’s transfer rules.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
