USC basketball big man Kijani Wright enters transfer portal, setting the stage for more changes

The roster turnover is just beginning for USC in the new men’s college basketball offseason.

The USC Trojans, after a disastrous men’s college basketball season, are going to look very different when they enter the Big Ten next fall. Kijani Wright, a backup big man who struggled to find a consistent and successful role at USC, is transferring out of the program, per 247Sports.

Wright was part of a big man room which, USC hoped, would be rugged and balanced this past season. The hope was that Josh Morgan would provide something close to a 10-and-10 double-double average in points and rebounds, with Vince Iwuchukwu coming off the bench to rebound and defend at an elite level. Wright, with Iwuchukwu being unavailable to play early in the season due to lingering back problems, had a chance to become a significant role player, but it never really happened. Wright made some significant contributions late in the 2022-2023 season for USC, giving the Trojans a boost in a road win at Colorado and a home win against Arizona State which sealed USC’s place in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Wright had hoped to build off those performances, but it simply didn’t happen.

Wright’s departure clears out one roster spot. With Isaiah Collier, Boogie Ellis, and Kobe Johnson all expected to declare for the NBA draft, the USC roster is about to endure many more significant changes. Andy Enfield has some elite recruits coming in, but Wright’s departure gives the Trojans a chance to find a big man in the transfer portal. USC badly needs a blue-collar big who can reliably rebound in the rugged Big Ten.

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