Dziki Warsaw has added a proven rim protector for the 2026-27 season, officially signing former Iowa State center Osun Osunniyi.
The 6-foot-10 big man arrives in the Polish OBL after spending the past two seasons with MLP Academics Heidelberg in Germany’s BBL. In his most recent year there, Osunniyi put up 7.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. He also made his presence felt in the Basketball Champions League, where he averaged 1.6 blocks and 1.1 steals per game.
Osunniyi built his professional resume before Germany with Limburg United in Belgium, where he helped the club win the Belgian Cup in 2024. That same year, he was named Eurobasket.com All-BNXT League Defensive Player of the Year.
His college career was just as decorated. Across his time in the NCAA, Osunniyi totaled 1,372 points, 1,027 rebounds and 340 blocks.
He first made his name at St. Bonaventure, where he became the program’s all-time blocks leader with 305.
He was also the first player in school history to earn Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year honors, taking the award in both 2021 and 2022. His biggest college moment came in 2021, when he anchored a defense that finished in the top 10 nationally and was named Atlantic 10 Championship Most Outstanding Player after helping the Bonnies win the conference title. As a freshman, he led all NCAA Division I freshmen in blocks.
At Iowa State, Osunniyi finished his final college season by leading the Cyclones in blocks with 35 and dunks with 32.
In Other News...
Iowa State May Have Just Found The Receiver Fans Were Waiting For
Iowa State added a major piece to its future offense with a commitment from a highly regarded wide receiver prospect who brings both national attention and the kind of pedigree the program has been trying to stack on the perimeter. The addition gives the Cyclones another promising target in a recruiting class that already needed to show it could keep pace with the Big 12s best, and it comes with the sort of profile that tends to get fans looking ahead to what the passing game could become.
What makes this one especially intriguing is the ripple effect it could have beyond a single roster spot. A receiver ranked among the top names at his position and in his home state can do more than catch passes down the road, since commitments like this often help shape how other recruits view a programs ceiling and offensive direction. For Iowa State, the hope is that this is the kind of addition that can become a cornerstone, not just a headline. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa States Loaded 2027 Class Is Already Turning Heads On EYBL
Iowa States 2027 recruiting work is already drawing attention well beyond Ames, and the reason is easy to see on the Nike EYBL circuit. Three Cyclone commits have been producing steady all-summer numbers against elite competition, giving the staff an early look at a class that has quickly built a national reputation.
The bigger picture is what comes next, because the EYBL calendar is down to its final major stop and the stage only gets brighter from here. For Iowa State, the appeal is not just that the class is rated at the top of the country, but that these players still have one more chance to reinforce why so many people around the circuit are talking about them. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Suddenly Faces A Massive Question After Jamie Pollard News
Jamie Pollards retirement announcement landed at a delicate moment for Iowa State, because it comes after a long run in which the athletic director helped turn the department into a much bigger operation. Since taking over in 2004, Pollard oversaw major growth in revenue, budget, ticket sales and staff size, and his influence stretched across the entire athletics enterprise as the Cyclones built more stability and visibility.
The timing also matters because Iowa State is already adjusting to change elsewhere in the program, with Matt Campbell having just left for Penn State. Pollards exit does not happen overnight, but the search for his replacement is set to begin this fall, which leaves the Cyclones facing a leadership transition that could shape how the next phase of the department takes form. [Read more 🡒]