WISE, Va.  – Former UVA Wise men's basketball forward Taiwo Badmus has signed a professional contract with Leyma Basquet Coruna (LEB Gold), the team announced. Coruna, a member of Spain's Basketball League, finished third in the LEB Gold standings last season after posting a 16-8 record before the season was suspended due to Covid-19. Badmus spent his first two professional seasons as a member of Marin Ence PeixeGalego.

"Signing with Leyma Coruña is a huge step in my career," Badmus commented. "They are one of the top teams in the league, finishing third last season. With this team my main goal is to win the league. I've spoken with the coaches and other members of the organization and we have all agreed on this and will be working towards this goal."

A native of London, England, Badmus was quick to find success when he began his professional career two years ago as he garnered Most Valuable Player of the week three times and earned playoff MVP in his first season.

The former UVA Wise standout spent the past two seasons with Marin Ence PeixeGalego in LEB Silver and assisted his team in its promotion to LEB Gold after winning the league title as a rookie. During the 2019-20 campaign, Badmus averaged 12.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting 50 percent from the field en route to being voted a Eurobasket.com All-Spanish LEB Gold Honorable Mention.

"I loved my time at Marin PeixeGalego," Badmus remarked. "The people, the organization, the fans all welcomed me and treated me as their own. I learned a lot there. The coaches taught me the Spanish system and way of playing which is something I've used and added to my game. It was definitely a great and memorable two years."

Badmus completed his time at UVA Wise in 2018 after a notable two seasons with the Cavaliers, averaging a double-double in his final campaign with 21.9 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. That year, he was named to the All-Mountain East Conference First Team, All-Atlantic Region Second Team, Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) All-State First Team and was the UVA Wise Athletics Male Athlete of the Year. He accumulated over 1,000 points in those two seasons and currently sits at 15th on the men's basketball all-time scoring list with his 1,265 career points.

 
"We are incredibly proud of Taiwo," said UVA Wise head men's basketball coach Blake Mellinger. "His hard work and immense talent will continue to take him far in his professional career and we are excited for his next steps."