Transfer Preview: Dejour Reaves (Iona)
Dejour Reaves arrives at Fordham after a big season in New Rochelle.
Dejour “Dae Dae” Reaves’ commitment to Fordham was the first major building block of Mike Magpayo’s roster. He arrives at Fordham by way of Iona, and previously, D1 Northern Colorado and NJCAA Trinidad State. The Syracuse, NY, native earned First Team All-MAAC honors last season as a steady veteran presence in the Gaels’ backcourt, scoring 20+ points in twelve contests. He earned Big Sky 6th Man of the Year at Northern Colorado the year prior as their second leading scorer. Reaves is a beneficiary of the NCAA’s ruling to grant an additional year of eligibility for athletes who previously played JUCO, had expiring eligibility this upcoming season, and were still within the five-year window.
Reaves had previously announced his intention to return to Iona on their Senior Day before the school parted ways with Head Coach Tobin Anderson at the conclusion of the season. In his appearance on the Not Even D2 podcast, he mentioned he was also considering visits to Bowling Green, UC Santa Barbara, and others before deciding on Fordham, citing Magpayo’s track record with small guards at UC Riverside. Reaves also discussed his goal of playing professional basketball overseas following this season and potentially testing the NBA Draft waters.
In 34 starts this year at Iona, Reaves posted:
17.3 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 1.9 APG, and 2.1 SPG in 34.3 minutes per game on:
44.9% FG
34.1% 3PT (59/173)
50.6% 2PT (167/330)
82.1% FT (77/94)
Highlights from his play at Iona:
Extended highlights (via YouTube/College Basketball Scouting):
Reaves was Iona’s two-guard last season alongside Dayton-bound Adam Njie at the point and was their go-to option when they needed a bucket. Reaves had a similar usage rate at Iona and Northern Colorado, but his efficiency slightly declined at Iona, likely due to their offense struggling to consistently generate good shots throughout the season. His 34% three-point shooting would have been second-best on last year’s Fordham team, but that number has potential to improve, as he hit 38% from beyond the arc overall and an impressive 41.7% in conference games at Northern Colorado in ‘23-24.
Dae Dae is listed at 6’ but plays much bigger than that across the board. He gets to the rim frequently (4.4 FGA per game—96th percentile) and finishes effectively (64.4%—72nd percentile). Reaves gets to the free throw line at a below-average rate but is a career 82.1% free throw shooter and can be depended on in crunch time. He’s truly a three-level scorer, capable of scoring at the rim, from mid-range, and from deep:
A very active defender who excels at forcing takeaways without committing fouls, he plays pesky on-ball defense and disrupts passing lanes when off the ball. The school’s press release referred to Reaves as “a defensive menace,” an incredibly fitting description. He averaged 2.1 steals per game at Iona and 1.5 per game the year prior. Reaves is a productive rebounder (5.5 RPG) and has an above-average block rate (1.0%—65th percentile amongst guards). Defensive metrics love his game, placing him in very good or elite percentiles for guards in several categories:
Perhaps my favorite stat in the above photo is his steals-per-personal fouls ratio: 1.22 puts Reaves in the 99th percentile of Division One, underscoring his efficiency at picking opponents’ pockets. Magpayo refers to wanting efficient players and Reaves certainly fits the bill defensively, also grading out in the 98th percentile in personal-foul efficiency.
A comparative overview of his play while at Iona (whole numbers represent D1 percentile):
Reaves arrives with immediate all-A10 talent and will have a significant impact on the upcoming season. He earned his way to status as a fan favorite at Iona, and I expect him to do the same at Fordham. Heading into his fifth season of college basketball, Reaves brings experience and leadership and is poised to take the lead in what has become a very experienced guard rotation.
The next transfer preview will be Jack Whitbourn!