Toledo signed two of the top-rated recruits in Michigan on National Signing Day.
Toledo Signs Talented Michigan Duo to NLI's for 2024-25
11/8/2023 8:51:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Rockets adding Saginaw's Tyler Ode and Grand Rapids' Jaylan Ouwinga
TOLEDO, Ohio – Head Coach Tod Kowalczyk announced the addition of Tyler Ode (Saginaw, Mich.) and Jaylan Ouwinga (Grand Rapids, Mich.) to the University of Toledo men's basketball program on Wednesday. The highly-rated duo from the state of Michigan will join the Rockets on campus prior to the start of the 2024-25 academic year after each signed a National Letter of Intent on National Signing Day.
"We're extremely excited to welcome Tyler and Jaylan to our Rocket family," Kowalczyk said. "Sometimes in recruiting you put all your eggs in one basket, and it doesn't always work out for you. This year we did that with Tyler and Jaylan, and it worked out perfectly for us. They were two guys we wanted from the start. They are both high-character individuals with really good basketball instincts who have their best basketball ahead of them."
Ode earned Associated Press Division I First-Team All-State honors after averaging 21.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg and 3.0 apg as a junior for Saginaw Heritage High School. He is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 5 player in Michigan, a two-time first-team all-league selection, and was selected as the 2022-23 Saginaw Area Player of the Year.
"Tyler is a physical guard who can shoot it," Kowalczyk said. "He's also a high-level defender who can impact a game on both ends of the floor."
A 6-foot-8 forward, Ouwinga received Division II honorable-mention all-state honors last year at Grand Rapids Christian High School. He was ranked by 247Sports as the No. 4 player in Michigan and averaged 14.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg and 1.5 bpg while shooting 55.0 percent from the field.
"Jaylan has great length and his skill level is good and only going to get better," Kowalczyk said. "He is like the new-wave, prototypical post player that NBA teams are looking for. They want length, skill and athleticism and he has all of that."
Toledo is back in action on Saturday, Nov. 11 when it hosts defending Sun Belt Conference Tournament champion Louisiana in its first game of this year's MAC-Sun Belt Challenge. Tip-off time is set for 7:00 p.m. in Savage Arena.
"We're extremely excited to welcome Tyler and Jaylan to our Rocket family," Kowalczyk said. "Sometimes in recruiting you put all your eggs in one basket, and it doesn't always work out for you. This year we did that with Tyler and Jaylan, and it worked out perfectly for us. They were two guys we wanted from the start. They are both high-character individuals with really good basketball instincts who have their best basketball ahead of them."
Ode earned Associated Press Division I First-Team All-State honors after averaging 21.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg and 3.0 apg as a junior for Saginaw Heritage High School. He is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 5 player in Michigan, a two-time first-team all-league selection, and was selected as the 2022-23 Saginaw Area Player of the Year.
"Tyler is a physical guard who can shoot it," Kowalczyk said. "He's also a high-level defender who can impact a game on both ends of the floor."
A 6-foot-8 forward, Ouwinga received Division II honorable-mention all-state honors last year at Grand Rapids Christian High School. He was ranked by 247Sports as the No. 4 player in Michigan and averaged 14.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg and 1.5 bpg while shooting 55.0 percent from the field.
"Jaylan has great length and his skill level is good and only going to get better," Kowalczyk said. "He is like the new-wave, prototypical post player that NBA teams are looking for. They want length, skill and athleticism and he has all of that."
Toledo is back in action on Saturday, Nov. 11 when it hosts defending Sun Belt Conference Tournament champion Louisiana in its first game of this year's MAC-Sun Belt Challenge. Tip-off time is set for 7:00 p.m. in Savage Arena.
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