Niko Ruffin
| No. 14 – Syracuse Orange | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard |
| League | NCAA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | June 12, 2003 New York City, U.S. |
| Listed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Listed weight | 170 lb (77 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Paramus Catholic (Paramus, New Jersey) |
| College | Syracuse (2021–) |
Niko Ruffin (born June 12, 2003) is an American college basketball player for the Syracuse University Orange team.[1]
Early life[edit]
Niko Ruffin was born on June 12, 2003, in the New York City borough of Manhattan.[2][3][4] He is the son of Dru Hill founder Tamir "Nokio the N-Tity" Ruffin and radio personality Angie Martinez.[5] Martinez ended her relationship with Ruffin's father shortly after his birth stating that she was not ready for a full commitment to him. Singer Mary J. Blige, a close friend of Martinez, is Ruffin's godmother.
High school career[edit]
In 2017, Ruffin began his basketball career at Paramus Catholic High School in Paramus, New Jersey. In both his junior and senior years, he was the team captain of the Paladins. During his junior year, he helped the team score a 19–1 win against an opposing team.[6] In his senior year, the Paladins won 85–57 against Westwood's high school team and were named the second team All-Big North United Division.[7][8] He graduated from Paramus in June 2021, just shy of his eighteenth birthday, and went on to Syracuse University to continue his education and basketball career.
College career[edit]
Ruffin joined Syracuse University's Orange men's basketball team in August 2021, where he played point guard position. During his freshman year, he sustained an ankle injury that prevented him from playing two exhibition games, which the team lost.[citation needed] He recovered in late December 2021 and returned to the team the following January, defeating the Louisville Cardinals.[9] He scored an average 1.0 every two minutes. In his sophomore year, he helped the Orange defeat the Oakland Golden Grizzlies.[10][11][12] However, they lost to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets,[13] Pittsburgh Panthers and the Duke Blue Devils.[14][15] He scored an average 2.0 every eight minutes. As a junior, the Oranges defeated the Chaminade Silverswords[16] and North Carolina Tar Heels. He scored 2.0 every four minutes.
Career statistics[edit]
College[edit]
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | Syracuse | 2 | 0 | 2 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 2022–23 | Syracuse | 4 | 0 | 8 | .250 | .000 | .000 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 |
| 2023–24 | Syracuse | 2 | 0 | 4 | .500 | .500 | .000 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 |
| Career | 8 | 0 | 14 | .286 | .500 | .000 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 5.0 | |
References[edit]
- ^ sports (October 14, 2023). "Orange Tip-Off: Fans get 1st look at Syracuse's 2023-24 basketball teams". The Daily Orange. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
- ^ "Boy Born to Angie Martinez and Nokio". The Edwardsville Intelligencer. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
- ^ "Boy Born to Angie Martinez and Nokio". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
- ^ "Boy Born to Angie Martinez and Nokio". Plainview Herald. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
- ^ "Niko Ruffin". orangehoops.org. Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
- ^ "Garden State Hoops » PUBLIC VS PRIVATE RESULTS: PARAMUS CATHOLIC AND THE HUN SCHOOL WIN!". January 19, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
- ^ Griffith, Juwan "JuJu" (October 11, 2021). "What you can learn from Niko Ruffin…". Medium. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
- ^ "Son Of Dru Hill's Nokio And Radio Host Angie Martinez Is Way Older Now". I Love Old School Music. December 12, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
- ^ Ditota, Donna (November 2, 2021). "Syracuse dominates Le Moyne in the Dome; Luke Sutherland goes down with injury (Donna Ditota's quick hits)". syracuse. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
- ^ "Highlights and Recap: Syracuse Too Much For Oakland". Sports Illustrated Syracuse Orange News, Analysis and More. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
- ^ "Oakland Golden Grizzlies vs. Syracuse Orange Live Score and Stats - December 6, 2022 Gametracker". CBSSports.com. Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
- ^ "Orange Outshine Golden Grizzlies". Syracuse University Athletics. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
- ^ "Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets vs. Syracuse Orange Live Score and Stats - February 28, 2023 Gametracker". CBSSports.com. Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
- ^ "Duke Blue Devils vs. Syracuse Orange Live Score and Stats - February 18, 2023 Gametracker". CBSSports.com. Archived from the original on March 12, 2024. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
- ^ "Orange Lose to #7/6 Blue Devils". Syracuse University Athletics. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
- ^ Lacy, Jr., Kenny (November 23, 2023). "SU basketball vs. Chaminade in Maui Invitational: Live score, updates". syracuse. Retrieved March 12, 2024.