Olu Babalola Class: Senior Hometown: London, England Height / Weight: 6-6 / 242 Position: F Experience: 3VL Major: Sociology

Overview: One of two seniors on the 2003-04 Clemson team with three varsity letters...one of the top athletes in the ACC, he has experience guarding players of all shapes and sizes...was named Clemson's top defensive player in 2002-03 as a sophomore...11th in the ACC in free throw shooting last year with a 75.3 percent mark, he was the co-recipient of the team's free throw shooting award...has demonstrated improvement from an offensive standpoint each year he has been at Clemson, his scoring average rose to 9.0 per game in 2003-04...veteran of 79 career games, he has played in every game over the last two years and has a streak of 58 consecutive games played entering his senior year...has started 54 of a possible 56 games over the last two years...has 49 career three-point goals, second among active Tigers to Shawan Robinson...a career 69.4 percent free throw shooter, also second among active Clemson players...needs six assists to reach 100 for his career and four points to reach 500....fine all-around player who led Clemson in scoring (19), rebounds (9), assists (3) and steals (3) against Virginia in Littlejohn Coliseum last year, a quadruple leadership...has been team's clutch performer over his career, twice he has won games at the foul line with under seven seconds remaining... made front and back end of a one-and-one with 6.5 seconds left in three-point win over South Carolina State in 2003-04... hit game winning free throws with 5.7 seconds left in win over Virginia at Clemson as a sophomore...has played exactly 709 minutes in 28 games over each of the last two years...named team's top defender in 2002-03, he was a big reason Clemson improved its scoring defense by 14 points per game over the previous season....won team hustle award as a freshman in 2001-02....dropped 20 pounds prior to 2003-04...one of two Tigers with a foreign background, he came to Clemson from London...played his high school basketball in New Jersey before coming to Clemson.

In 2003-04: Fourth leading scorer on the Tigers as a junior in 2003-04,he started all 28 games and averaged 25 minutes per game...averaged 11.8 points per game for the first eight games of the season when he was in double figures in six of the eight contests...came on from the free throw line at the end of the season, he made 25-31 from the line between Feb. 12-24...had nine rebounds in three of his last six games...had 15 of his 29 steals in the last eight games...had at least one steal in 10 of the last 11 games...averaged 9.0 points per game for the season, he was at 9.3 for his last nine games...scored in double figures in 12 games and had three others when he scored nine...had just two games with double figures in rebounding, but had five others with exactly nine....showed his willingness to compete when he played at Georgia Tech with a sublux Peroneal Tendon in his right foot, an injury that limited his effectiveness, but did play 27 minutes against Georgia Tech. ...third on the team in double figure scoring games with 12.

Best Games of 2003-04: Had all-around game against Wake Forest at Clemson with 22 points on 5-7 field goal shooting and 10-12 from the foul line...that was his career high in scoring, the only 20-point scoring game of his Clemson career...had just one turnover in efficient 27 minutes of play....shot just 1-9 from the field in win over NC State on Feb. 18, but made a big contribution defensively and with nine rebounds to lead all rebounders...also had four assists and just two turnovers in 29 minutes....Clemson's second leading scorer in the victory over 12th-ranked North Carolina with 14 points...shot 4-8 from the field, including 2-2 on three-point shots... had five rebounds and just one turnover with two steals in 24 minutes in Jan. 31 win over the Tar Heels...made memorable long three-point goal with shot clock running down to take wind out of the Tar Heels at a key juncture of the game...scored 10 points against Georgia Tech in final home game....also had 10 points in the win over NCAA Tournament bound Boston College on December 30....had one of his best all-around games at NC State when he had 10 points, a team best six rebounds and a team best five assists...did not have a turnover in that game, first time all year he did not have a turnover....recorded first double-double of his career against South Carolina on December 6, he had 11 points and career high 11 rebounds...had 17 points in win over Wofford in third game of the year, he also had nine rebounds in that game.

In 2002-03: Had consistent season, he averaged 9.3 points per game for the first nine games of the season when he had four double figure scoring games...had just two double figure scoring games in the middle 10 games, then had five more in the last 10 games...finished the year with consecutive double figure scoring games, including a career high 17 points on 7-9 shooting in the regular season finale...showed ability to drive to the bucket late in the season, three of the last four Saturday games he drove to the basket and finished with a thunderous dunk.. played well in the clutch, he gave Clemson 77-75 lead with 1:37 left against North Carolina with a foul line jumper...Tigers triumphed 80-77...made two free throws with 5.7 seconds to defeat Virginia 78-77 on Jan. 18...first Tiger to score winning points in the last 20 seconds since Terrell McIntyre beat Missouri with a three-point shot in San Juan in 1996-97... never had more than six points in a game his entire freshman year, he reached that figure in all but eight games and had 11 games in double figures, all between 10 and 17 points... had solid all-around game in win over Gardner-Webb, he had seven points, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals....was playing that game just five days after his coaching mentor, Joe White, had passed away in England...Babalola flew to England on December 8th in hopes of seeing White one more time, but he died while Babalola was in the air...starter at small forward in all but one game, he did not start the High Point game so Walker Holt, a resident of Greensboro, could get the start...had 10 points in the first half of the High Point game played in the Greensboro Coliseum...outstanding defender on the perimeter, his defense helped turn the Penn State game around each of the last two years...had four steals in win over Penn State at Anderson Civic Center last year, and added eight points and career high six rebounds.

Best Games of 2002-03: Finished regular season with career high 17 points on 7-9 field goal shooting...had a career best 3-4 three-point shooting, he did all that in just 24 minutes... had then career high 15 points in the win over Florida State at Clemson on Feb. 22, he made 6-12 shots from the field in a career high 37 minutes...played well at end of the season, had career high 17 at Georgia Tech, he was 7-9 from the field, and then had 10 points, all in first half of ACC Tournament game against Florida State... had strong week Feb. 12-15 with consecutive double figure scoring games against South Carolina and North Carolina...against South Carolina had 12 points on 4-9 shooting, including 2-3 on three-point goals...had 11 points and career high tying eight rebounds in the win over UNC...shot 4-6 from the field in that game in 31 minutes...had standout ACC performance at Florida State, he made 5-8 field goals and was Clemson's leading scorer with 12 points...also had four steals and two blocks in that game...thus, he had a pair of double figure scoring games against the Seminoles...followed that with another 5-8 shooting effort against Maryland and 12 total points...had 24 points 10-16 shooting and seven steals in those consecutive games... had 13 points against Coastal Carolina on New Year's Eve, he made career best 3-4 three-point goals...had big impact on win over Cincinnati with 11 points in 32 minutes...did not have a turnover in that game and made 3-5 from the field and 5-6 from the line...also had a strong defensive game, a reason Cincinnati shot just 34.5 percent from the field for that game....also a big reason Duke shot just 33.9 percent against the Tigers in Durham...made 5 of his last 9 three-point attempts to close the year.

In 2001:02: First had an impact in the win at Penn State in the ACC vs. Big Ten Challenge... had four points and three rebounds in 14 minutes, but his defensive energy had a lot to do with the Clemson victory... Clemson overcame a double digit halftime deficit and his intensity seemed to turn the game in Clemson's direction...had season high six points in win over Charleston Southern, he did that in just 10 minutes... was 2-2 from the field, including a three-point goal... played well against Yale as a reserve... had nine steals in his 133 minutes...got off to a good start controlling the ball, he did not have a turnover in seven of his first nine games, he had just four turnovers for his first 66 minutes of play... also capable as a passer, he had two assists in five minutes against Maryland on Feb. 20... played a season high 17 minutes against Coastal Carolina... contributed to the win at Georgia Tech with two steals, an assist and a dunk in his five minutes... had five points at N.C. State for his high scoring game in ACC play, he made 2-3 from the field in his 12 minutes...that was his high playing time figure in an ACC game as freshman...played 11 minutes in regular season finale against North Carolina, he had two points and two rebounds...averaged a steal every 14 minutes...stats were balanced between ACC and non-ACC games, he had 15 points in ACC games and 16 points in non-conference...scored in 10 of his 23 games.

In High School: Averaged 18.8 points and 11.2 rebounds per game his senior year of high school...he also shot 58 percent from the field and averaged 2.8 blocked shots per game...picked up 4.5 assists, 2.2 blocks and 3.0 steals per game...had a season high of 28 points and 16 rebounds during his senior year...signed with the Tigers on November 8, 2000...a native of London, England, he played at St. Augustine Prep in Richland, NJ... he was a third-team all-state selection as a junior...had season highs of 33 points, 20 rebounds, eight assists and eight blocks as a junior...first-team all-conference, first-team All-South Jersey, first-team All-Parochial to go with his third-team All-State status...also recruited by Rutgers, Virginia Tech, and Notre Dame...majoring in parks, recreation and tourism management...born September 10, 1981...name is pronounced O LOU Baba LOW La.

# - Virgin Islands; @ ACC Tournament at Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC