The Nigerian center (2.11m) joins Oded Kattash’s frontcourt. “He’ll add athleticism, rebounding and energy. He has huge upside, and I have no doubt he’ll help us,” said the head coach
“We’re happy to welcome Cliff into our family,” said head coach Oded Kattash after the signing. “He’s a player with significant size and good instincts, with a presence on both ends of the floor. He’ll bring us athleticism, rebounding, and energy. He has tremendous upside, and I have no doubt he’ll help us reach our goals.”
“As we approached this summer’s free agency, we looked for a center with great physical presence and dynamism,” explained general manager Claudio Coldebella. “Someone who can rebound at the highest level (especially offensively), protect the paint and the rim as a shot-blocker and athletic presence, and defend the pick-and-roll effectively. At the same time, we wanted a big who can run the floor offensively with his athleticism and complement the dynamism of our guards.”
“From a character perspective, as always, we sought a player with integrity, work ethic, and competitiveness. Clifford Omoruyi has all these qualities and more,” Coldebella continued. “The progress in his game in recent years has been clear for everyone to see. We’re excited to be part of the next steps in his professional development. We are delighted to welcome Clifford and his family to Tel Aviv and extend our warmest MAZAL TOV.”
“I’ve heard that the fans here really love basketball and the club,” Omoruyi told the team’s official website after signing. “I can’t wait to start playing in front of them. Yalla Maccabi!”.
Clifford Omoruyi was born in Benin City, southern Nigeria, on October 11, 2001. He initially played soccer before switching to basketball at age 14 as he shot up in height. At 16 he moved to the United States, playing high school ball in New Jersey. As a senior he averaged 14.2 points, 11.5 rebounds and an impressive 5.4 blocks per game, making him a highly recruited prospect.
Omoruyi chose Rutgers, where he began to flourish from his sophomore year with double-figure scoring, intense defense, and growing impact. As a junior he put up 13.2 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game; by his senior season he was swatting 2.7 shots per night.
After four years he used the NCAA’s COVID-era eligibility rule to play a fifth season, this time with Alabama — a program that produced former Maccabi players like Buck Johnson, Richard Hendrix, and Levi Randolph. Last season he averaged 7.9 points (on 74.3% shooting from two), 6.5 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game.
Now, approaching his 24th birthday, Omoruyi heads to another continent to continue his career as part of Oded Kattash’s big-man rotation alongside Roman Sorkin, T.J. Leaf, Jaylen Hoard, and Marcio Santos.
