Now in his second year in Bristol, AJ Edu hype train is about to leave the station, and you don’t want to miss on this one. Born in Cyprus to a Nigerian father and a Philippine mother, AJ Edu showed last summer his worldwide background, and how much he is up to the challenge when he chose to play for Philippines in the 3x3U18 World Cup in Chengdu, China. In his first international showing, Edu was one of the main names in the tournament, carrying his team to the Quarterfinal round and exploding with his mix of athleticism and modern forward qualities. At 6’9, fluid, bouncy and mobile, AJ Edu belongs to that breed of big men who can do a bit of everything at high level: from running in transition to creating with the ball in their hands, or protecting the basket playing well high above the rim. He has length and good timing for shot blocking, plus he can deliver in the offensive end moving on the post or facing up. His jumper is in progress, and he can also score the 3 rolling in the P&R. Close him too much and he’ll burn you off the dribble, good handle to work with for a guy of his size. Strength is still an issue when facing bigger bodies in the paint, so muscle is needed there, plus work in other defensive aspects such as foot speed when switching, or reading passing lines and offensive options. Nevertheless, we are talking about a 17 year old who dominates the boards in the EABL, and scores a ton using his versatility and instincts well. With a natural physical development and understanding of the game, AJ Edu could become a terrific pro baller and the best advert yet for the EABL.