University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Northern Colorado Men’s Basketball Adds International Standout Ibu Yamazaki to 2025-26 Roster
4/7/2025 2:10:00 PM | Men's Basketball
GREELEY, Colo. – The University of Northern Colorado Men's Basketball program has officially announced the signing of 6'7" wing Ibu Yamazaki, Head Coach Steve Smiley confirmed Friday. A native of Matsudo, Chiba, Japan, Yamazaki brings international experience and a proven Division I resume to Greeley as the Bears continue to build momentum heading into the 2025-26 season.
Yamazaki comes to UNC after spending the last three seasons at Radford University, where he played a key role for a winning Highlanders program. In the 2024-25 season, he averaged 5.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, 0.4 assists, and 0.3 steals per game — all while showcasing his shooting touch and versatility on the wing. Over his career at Radford, he posted averages of 4.1 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.3 assists, and 0.2 steals per contest. He averaged 21 minutes per game, played in all 33 games, and started in 11 games last season.
Before his college career, Yamazaki was a standout for Japan's U19 national team at the 2021 FIBA Basketball World Cup, where he averaged 14.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. He lit up the scoreboard with 32 points against South Korea, added 23 points versus Serbia, and hit double figures against both Canada and Senegal.
A graduate of Meisei High School — the same program that produced NBA standout Rui Hachimura — Yamazaki is known for his high-level shooting, leadership, and international experience.
Head Coach Steve Smiley expressed his enthusiasm for Yamazaki's addition:
"We're thrilled to receive the commitment of Ibu Yamazaki as we continue to reload our roster with players that we feel are perfect fits for our program and are also complements to the great core that we have returning for this 25-26 season.
Ibu is a big wing forward that is a proven winner and has had a big impact on winning teams for a very good Radford program over the past couple of years. In the early phase of reloading our roster, one of our first needs was to focus on getting a forward that has great experience and also is a proven shooter and scorer at the Division 1 level, while also being able to do those things for a winning program.
Ibu fits that profile perfectly and is exactly the type of player that we believe will fill some of the holes that we currently have on our roster. As we've gotten to know Ibu better on a personal level during this recruitment process, we believe that he will fit perfectly with our roster, our staff, as a student at UNC, and in our Greeley community. We could not be more excited about our first signee in the spring being Ibu! Go Bears!"
Yosuke Takahashi, his coach at Meisei High School, added:
"Ibu is a 'We' player and displays his selflessness in his game and attitude. He is not only a great shooter but also a leader on and off the court. As an alumnus, he has established himself as a role model for other Japanese high school players. I am confident that he will exceed the expectations at Northern Colorado and will contribute to their winning culture. I am happy for both Ibu and Northern Colorado and am looking forward to seeing them have a great season."
Follow the Bears
Fans can follow and stay up to date on all the Bear action at uncbears.com and on social media. Follow the Bears on X (formerly Twitter) (@UNC_BearsMBB), Instagram (@UNC_BearsMBB), and Facebook (/UNCBearsMBB).
Yamazaki comes to UNC after spending the last three seasons at Radford University, where he played a key role for a winning Highlanders program. In the 2024-25 season, he averaged 5.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, 0.4 assists, and 0.3 steals per game — all while showcasing his shooting touch and versatility on the wing. Over his career at Radford, he posted averages of 4.1 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.3 assists, and 0.2 steals per contest. He averaged 21 minutes per game, played in all 33 games, and started in 11 games last season.
Before his college career, Yamazaki was a standout for Japan's U19 national team at the 2021 FIBA Basketball World Cup, where he averaged 14.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. He lit up the scoreboard with 32 points against South Korea, added 23 points versus Serbia, and hit double figures against both Canada and Senegal.
A graduate of Meisei High School — the same program that produced NBA standout Rui Hachimura — Yamazaki is known for his high-level shooting, leadership, and international experience.
Head Coach Steve Smiley expressed his enthusiasm for Yamazaki's addition:
"We're thrilled to receive the commitment of Ibu Yamazaki as we continue to reload our roster with players that we feel are perfect fits for our program and are also complements to the great core that we have returning for this 25-26 season.
Ibu is a big wing forward that is a proven winner and has had a big impact on winning teams for a very good Radford program over the past couple of years. In the early phase of reloading our roster, one of our first needs was to focus on getting a forward that has great experience and also is a proven shooter and scorer at the Division 1 level, while also being able to do those things for a winning program.
Ibu fits that profile perfectly and is exactly the type of player that we believe will fill some of the holes that we currently have on our roster. As we've gotten to know Ibu better on a personal level during this recruitment process, we believe that he will fit perfectly with our roster, our staff, as a student at UNC, and in our Greeley community. We could not be more excited about our first signee in the spring being Ibu! Go Bears!"
Yosuke Takahashi, his coach at Meisei High School, added:
"Ibu is a 'We' player and displays his selflessness in his game and attitude. He is not only a great shooter but also a leader on and off the court. As an alumnus, he has established himself as a role model for other Japanese high school players. I am confident that he will exceed the expectations at Northern Colorado and will contribute to their winning culture. I am happy for both Ibu and Northern Colorado and am looking forward to seeing them have a great season."
Follow the Bears
Fans can follow and stay up to date on all the Bear action at uncbears.com and on social media. Follow the Bears on X (formerly Twitter) (@UNC_BearsMBB), Instagram (@UNC_BearsMBB), and Facebook (/UNCBearsMBB).
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