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Virginia to Host UIC Transfer Wing Toby Okani for Official Visit

Matt Newton

Toby Okani drives the ball during the Illinois-Chicago men's basketball game at Cincinnati.
Toby Okani drives the ball during the Illinois-Chicago men's basketball game at Cincinnati. / Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Virginia has its sights set on a new transfer portal target. Toby Okani, a graduate transfer wing out of Illinois-Chicago, has reportedly scheduled a visit to UVA for April 18th and 19th, per a report from Derek Murray on Monday afternoon.

April 17th Update: Okani has cut his list to five schools - Pepperdine, West Virginia, LSU, Virginia, and St. Bonaventure - and will take his visit to UVA next Tuesday (4/23) after he visits LSU this upcoming weekend, per Hooz Got Next.

A 6'8", 210-pound guard from Orange, New Jersey, Okani began his career at Duquesne before transferring to UIC, where he has been a regular starter for the last two seasons. In 2023-2024, Okani averaged 11.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. He shot 32.0% from three on 3.1 attempts per game, 39.4% from the floor, and 57.1% from the free throw line.

Okani excels on the defensive end, averaging 2.0 blocks and 1.5 steals per game and garnering a spot on the Missouri Valley Conference All-Defensive Team. He was one of only a handful of players in the country to average more than two blocks and one steal per game this season.

At the end of the season, Okani entered the transfer portal as a graduate transfer and declared for the NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility.

More than a dozen programs have reportedly contacted Okani since he entered the transfer portal, including Clemson, UCLA, Arkansas, Xavier, Florida State, Wisconsin, and others. Okani has thus far taken visits to St. Bonaventure and West Virginia and has now scheduled this upcoming visit to Virginia for next Tuesday.

Although he played guard at UIC, the 6'8" Okani would likely be played in the front court at Virginia, as the Cavaliers are looking to add depth and size at the forward position with Jordan Minor and Jake Groves having exhausted their eligibility and Ryan Dunn departing for the NBA Draft.

In other transfer portal news, Virginia was slated to host two transfer targets this past weekend: Saint Mary's forward Joshua Jefferson and Harvard point guard Malik Mack. Jefferson completed his visit at UVA, but has scheduled additional visits to TCU and Iowa State, per Hooz Got Next.

Mack, meanwhile, never made it to Charlottesville. He took an official visit to Georgetown on Friday, and the Washington, D.C. native appears to have been convinced to come home, as all signs now point to Mack committing to Ed Cooley and the Hoyas.

Though there's a chance Virginia could still snag a commitment from Joshua Jefferson after he finishes up his upcoming visits, for now it's back to the drawing board for Tony Bennett and company. UVA currently has two open scholarships for the 2024-2025 season.

More Virginia Men's Basketball News and Content

Could Trent Perry be the Solution to Virginia's Point Guard Problem?
Saint Mary's Transfer Forward Joshua Jefferson Schedules Visit to Virginia
Virginia's Updated Scholarship Picture With Leon Bond III Transferring Out
Virginia Basketball Transfer Portal Contact Live Tracker
Will Ryan Dunn Declare for the NBA Draft? Checking in on the Latest Mock Drafts

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Matt Newton
MATT NEWTON

Matt launched Virginia Cavaliers On SI in August of 2021 and has since served as the site's publisher and managing editor, covering all 23 NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. He is from Downingtown, Pennsylvania and graduated from UVA in May of 2021.

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