Rebels add 7-foot transfer Olejniczak during late signing period

Published 12:01 pm Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy announced the signing of 7-foot transfer center Dominik Olejniczak Monday. Olejniczak will be eligible for the 2017-18 season and has three years of eligibility remaining.

A native of Torun, Poland, Olejniczak played in 20 games for the Drake Bulldogs last season as a freshman and averaged 6.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. The seven-foot, 255 pounder started the final nine games of his freshman campaign averaging 10.3 ppg and pulling down 4.6 boards a game and posted 16.6 ppg and 7.7 rpg in his last three starts of the year. Olejniczak shot an impressive 72.2 percent (83 of 115) from the field in his only season with the Bulldogs and recorded 21 blocked shots.

Olejniczak scored a season-high 19 points and pulled down nine boards against Loyola, and added 18 points and eight rebounds against Missouri State. He also posted 13 points and seven rebounds versus Northern Iowa, who knocked off Texas in the NCAA Tournament. Olejniczak was contacted by numerous programs across the country after securing his release from Drake before ultimately choosing the Rebels after visiting Pac-12 teams California and Colorado.

Email newsletter signup

“We are very excited that Dom has chosen to continue his collegiate career at Ole Miss,” said Kennedy, the winningest coach in Ole Miss Basketball history. “He gives us an established post presence to anchor our interior after Sebas (Saiz) graduates next season. Dominik is a legitimate seven footer, who has great hands and a great touch around the basket. His skill level coupled with his dominant size gives him the opportunity to make an immediate impact in our program!”

Olejniczak averaged 14.0 points and 7.0 rebounds a game for SMS PZKosz Wladyslawowo in Poland’s second division before enrolling at Drake. He posted 7.5 points and 5.0 boards a game for Poland during the U-18 Division A European Championships in the summer of 2015 and will play for the Polish National Team in the U-20 European Championships in Greece this summer.