The Toronto Raptors announced Monday they have assigned rookie centre Solomon Alabi to the Erie BayHawks of the NBA Development League. Alabi will continue to be included on the Raptors’ roster and will be placed on the team’s inactive list.
Alabi, 22, made his Raptors debut Saturday at Miami, going scoreless in eighteen seconds of action. He participated in five preseason contests, totaling 10 points and five rebounds in 24 minutes. He played for the Raptors’ entry in the 2010 Las Vegas Summer League where he averaged 8.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 18 minutes in five games. He shot .565 (13-23) from the field and .938 (15-16) from the foul line.
A native of Nigeria, Alabi, was named All-ACC Defensive Team in his two full seasons at FSU. He started all 67 games, leading the Seminoles to the NCAA Tournament twice and the ACC Tournament Championship Game as a redshirt freshman. He averaged a school record 2.1 blocked shots per game for his career. He also shot .534 per cent from the field in his two-plus seasons with the Seminoles.
The club acquired the draft rights to Alabi from the Dallas Mavericks on June 24. He was the 50th overall selection in the 2010 NBA Draft.
Alabi is the fourth Raptor to be assigned to the D-League. Nathan Jawai was designated on two occasions in the 2008-09 season to the Idaho Stampede. P.J. Tucker was assigned twice to the Colorado 14ers during the 2006-07 season and Pape Sow was assigned to the Arkansas Rimrockers in the 2005-06 campaign.
Erie, which is led by head coach Jay Larranaga, has been appointed as Toronto’s D-League affiliate for the 2010-11 season.
