UT Martin Transfer Issa Muhammad Receives Interest From Indiana

After averaging 11.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game at UT Martin in 2023-24, Issa Muhammad entered the transfer portal with one year of remaining eligibility. Indiana has reportedly been one of many schools to show interest in the 6-foot-9 forward.

Jack Ankony | May 13, 2024

UT Martin's Issa Muhammad goes up for a dunk. / UTMsports.com

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BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The transfer portal has closed for new entrants, but plenty of players that have already entered the portal are still looking for new schools.

That includes UT Martin forward Issa Muhammad, who has received interest from Indiana, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, San Diego State, Utah, FIU, New Mexico, Eastern Michigan, Mercer, Wright State, Southern Indiana, Montana, Appalachian State, East Carolina and more, according to The Portal Scoop on Sunday.

Muhammad is a 6-foot-9, 245-pound forward with one year of remaining eligibility. He played the 2023-24 season at UT Martin after beginning his career with two seasons at Daytona State College, followed by one season at Northwest Florida State College and one season at New Mexico State. Prior to college, Muhammad attended Norcross High School near Atlanta, Ga.

As a senior in 2023-24, Muhammad started 28 games and played 29.6 minutes per game for a UT Martin team that went 21-11 and won the Ohio Valley Conference regular season title. He averaged 11.1 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting 51% from the field, 26.7% from 3-point range (4 for 15) and 62% from the free throw line.

Among all OVC players last year, Muhammad ranked third in offensive rebounding percentage (10.6%), fourth in defensive rebounding percentage (22.1%), 11th in effective field goal percentage and 15th in block percentage (2.62%). He was named to the All-OVC second team.

Muhammad spent the 2022-23 season at New Mexico State, where he started 18 games and played 24.3 minutes per game. He averaged 9.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game while 58.2% from the field, 27.3% from 3-point range (3 for 11) and 53.1% from the free throw line. New Mexico State suspended its season in February after hazing allegations.

Muhammad played one season at Northwest Florida State College, a junior college program in Niceville, Fla. He averaged 10 points and 6.5 rebounds per game in 34 starts as the Raiders won the 2021-22 NJCAA national championship.

He began his career at Daytona State College, a junior college program in Daytona Beach, Fla. During the 2020-21 season, he averaged 15.9 points and 11.1 rebounds per game while shooting 42.5% from the field, 34.3% from 3-point range (23 for 67) and 65.4% from the free throw line. As a true freshman in 2019-20, he averaged 9.1 points and 6.4 rebounds.

Indiana has two open scholarships heading into the 2024-25 season and currently has the No. 2 ranked transfer portal class in the nation, according to 247 Sports. Coach Mike Woodson has added four transfers, including guard Myles Rice (Washington State), center Oumar Ballo (Arizona), guard Kanaan Carlyle (Stanford) and wing Luke Goode (Illinois), along with freshman Bryson Tucker, a five-star recruit ranked No. 20 in the nation.

These additions, as well as a core group of returners, have led to Indiana being ranked No. 16 in the nation, per ESPN's Way-Too-Early Top 25. Ballo and Malik Reneau figure to start at center and power forward for the Hoosiers, but Indiana still has a need for a player like Muhammad in the front court after losing Kel'el Ware, Anthony Walker and Payton Sparks from last season's roster.

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