Ike Iroegbu, Temporary Signing for Valencia Basket 

Due to the accumulation of injuries in the guard position, Valencia Basket men’s team has decided to sign American combo guard with a Nigerian passport, Ike Iroegbu (1.88m, Sacramento, California, 03/14/1995, 30 years old) on a one-month temporary contract to strengthen the roster for the remainder of the preseason and the opening stretch of official games. Iroegbu is familiar with the Liga Endesa, having played the last two seasons with Bàsquet Girona, where he averaged 13.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 65 ACB games, with a performance rating of 11.4. He particularly stood out in his first year, finishing as one of the league’s top scorers.

A basketball journeyman

California native Ikenna Ugochukwu Iroegbu developed his game at the prestigious Oak Hill Academy, which earned him the opportunity to spend four years with the Washington State Cougars. Despite a solid senior year (12.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.6 assists), he didn’t secure a spot in the NBA, even though he took part in the Summer League. The Los Angeles Clippers brought him into their G League affiliate, but after one season there, he began his European journey in Germany.

Science City Jena gave him his first opportunity on this side of the Atlantic, where he impressed enough to draw attention from Lietkabelis Panevezys in Lithuania, with whom he finished the 2018–19 season. After a return to the G League in the incomplete 2019–20 season, he went back to Europe, playing in France, Germany again, and Israel over the following two years. In the 2022–23 season, Treviso Basket placed their trust in Ike, and he responded with the best numbers of his European career: 16.4 points (seventh-leading scorer in the Lega), 3.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists for a rating of 14.6. This performance opened the doors to the Liga Endesa.

Stability in Girona

After already standing out in the preseason with Bàsquet Girona, Iroegbu made his Spanish league debut by scoring 16 points at La Fonteta in a win for the Catalan team in the first round of the 2023–24 season. Just one more game later, he reached the 20-point mark and showcased his offensive talent with 27 points against Unicaja, 30 against MoraBanc Andorra, 25 against Barça, and 28 against Valencia Basket in the return game at Fontajau. As a key piece in helping Girona stay up, he finished the year as the fourth-leading scorer in the ACB with 15.3 points per game, while also showing his ability to draw fouls—ranking third in free throws attempted (4.7) as a result of the 4.7 fouls he suffered per game.

For the first time in his career, he stayed with the same team for a second season, adapting to a more collective style of play, even if his numbers dipped slightly due to fewer shot attempts—averaging 12.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. Still, he had flashes of offensive brilliance, such as his 25 points against Barça that sparked a four-game winning streak to lift the team out of the danger zone in the standings. He also improved his contribution in other areas such as rebounding, playmaking, and ball control.