Cameron Ayers is in his fourth season as an assistant coach at Lafayette during the 2025-26 academic year.
Men’s basketball improved it’s win total for the third straight season in 2024-25, advancing to the Patriot League Quarterfinal on March 6. Lafayette got out to a slow non-conference start before finding its way during the Lafayette Classic from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1, going 2-1 through the inaugural round-robin tournament in the newly refurbished Kirby Sports Center. Momentum swung the program to outcomes such as the exciting 76-61 road win at defending conference champion Colgate and a 78-70 Senior Day victory versus Lehigh, the 150th series dub since the Rivalry’s inception in 1902. Justin Vander Baan was crowned the Defensive Player of the Year after a sensational season in the front court, finishing his Leopard career ranked second all-time in program blocks (188), which topped the NCAA from Jan. 16-20. He was also listed on the Third Team and the All-Defensive Team while Alex Chaikin (Third Team, All-Rookie) and Caleb Williams (All-Rookie) had electric initial campaigns.
The Maroon and White concluded the 2023-24 season with an 11-21 (10-8 PL) overall record, finishing in second place in the Patriot League regular season and advancing to the Patriot League Tournament quarterfinal. With his assistance, men’s basketball matched the program record of seven consecutive Patriot League victories in a row to open the conference slate. The 2003-04 squad was the last Lafayette team to open league play with a 7-0 mark. The 10 conference wins are the most that the program has had since moving to an 18-game schedule back in 2013. Four Leopards earned All-Conference laurels following the season, the largest group since 2011-12. Devin Hines, Kyle Jenkins and Justin Vander Baan were named to the All-Patriot League Third Team while Mark Butler took home All-Rookie honors. Butler continued College Hill’s streak of placing at least one player on the first-year squad since 2019. Vander Baan was also tabbed to the All-Defensive squad.
Ayers was welcomed to College Hill and joined former head coach Mike Jordan's staff for the 2022-23 season, where he helped assist the Leopards to the 2023 Patriot League Tournament championship game.
Ayers spent the 2021-22 season as the director of basketball operations at William & Mary under head coach Dane Fischer following a one-year stint as a graduate manager at Temple under Aaron McKie.
Prior to his time at Temple, Ayers played professionally for six seasons, last suiting up for Trefl Sopot in Poland in 2019-20 when he averaged 11.1 points per game and shot 41% from 3-point range. It was his second season in Poland after enjoying the best statistical season of his career in 2017-18 with Turow Zgorzelec, averaging 17.2 points per game and shooting 44% from three-point range.
Ayers started his pro career in the NBA Summer League in 2014 with the New Orleans Pelicans. The native of Blue Bell, Pa. spent two seasons in the NBA G-League with the Reno Bighorns and the Maine Red Claws. Ayers also played in Italy with Enel Brindisi (2014) and Pallacanestro Trapani (2018-19) and spent one season in Lithuania with Siauliai.
A 2014 graduate of Bucknell with a bachelor’s degree in economics, Ayers left as the winningest player in program history with 94 career victories. He was named the Patriot League Player of the Year in 2014, closing out his career with 1,526 points, 429 rebounds and 220 assists. He was a three-time All-Patriot League selection and was twice named to the first team.
Ayers comes from a basketball family. His father, Randy, played at Miami (Ohio) and was the head coach at Ohio State and in the NBA for the Philadelphia 76ers. In 1991, he was named the Naismith National Coach of the Year with the Buckeyes. He is currently an assistant coach with the Phoenix Suns.
Updated 4/25
