USC Basketball: Former Trojan Transferring To Big East School

The former 5-star prospect is headed to the East Coast...

USC Basketball / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The marriage between highly-touted center Vincent Iwuchukwu and the USC Trojans is officially over.

A former five-star prospect out of San Antonio, Iwuchukwu decided to leave Los Angeles for the opposite coast. Per multiple reports Tuesday afternoon (including Portal Updates), the big man has decided to play for famed head coach Rick Pitino at St. John's.

When USC signed the 7'1" big man two years ago, it was a very big deal. Ranked No. 25 nationally by 247Sports' composite ranking, the intriguing young center selected the Trojans over reported offers from Baylor, Florida, Kansas, Purdue, and UCLA, among others.

St. John’s has landed a commitment from USC transfer Vince Iwuchukwu.

The 7’1” sophomore forward appeared in 31 games, averaging 5.5 points on 50% FG, and 3.8 rebounds in 15.7 minutes per game.

Iwuchukwu has extremely high upside, very athletic and a good shot blocker. Former… pic.twitter.com/xn0y4i4czr

— PortalUpdates (@portal_updates) April 23, 2024

Unfortunately for Iwuchukwu, he suffered a cardiac arrest at a practice during the summer before his freshman year in 2022-23. As he got healthy, this stalled his participation in the year. He was behind the proverbial 8-ball from both a rhythm and conditioning standpoint and thus made Iwuchukwu's participation with the team limited.

This past year, Iwuchukwu played in 31 games, averaging only 5.5 PPG and 3.8 RPG in 15.7 minutes per contest. He played behind Joshua Morgan for vast stretches of the year, and never really threatened to be the difference-maker many thought he'd be.

After putting Vince Iwuchukwu through a player development session, I knew we had to have him in a Johnnies uniform. Awesome attitude and work ethic. 7’1, 250, agile, mobile, and shoots the heck out of it. Excited to have him with so much upside and potential!

— Rick Pitino (@RealPitino) April 23, 2024

This represents a fresh start for the junior-to-be big man. Iwuchukwu has shown glimpses of being a very talented player. You don't normally see players north of 7-feet move with the fluidity he does. Not only that, but Iwuchukwu is an above-average rim protector and has range that extends beyond the three-point line.

Should Pitino and his staff tap into the mass potential this player has, Iwuchukwu figures to be a real difference maker in the uber-competitive Big East.

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