Apr. 21—PULLMAN — Washington State has landed a second transfer this spring.
The Cougars’ newest commitment comes from Boise State transfer wing Emmanuel Ugbo, who announced his decision on Monday afternoon, giving his new club its second reinforcement from the transfer portal.
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After playing one season at BSU, Ugbo will have one year of eligibility with the potential for two, a source told The Spokesman-Review, citing international eligibility concerns. The 6-foot-8 Ugbo hails from the Netherlands, which neighbors Germany, where he played 23 games for Ludwigsburg’s Porsche BBA in 2022-23, averaging 14.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game.
Ugbo, who has a 7-foot-2 wingspan, joined Boise State’s program in the spring 2024 semester, then logged 10 minutes per game in 36 games last season, averaging 3.1 points and 1.8 rebounds. He started 12 games for the Broncos, who went 26-11 on the season, narrowly missing the NCAA Tournament and winning two games at the inaugural College Basketball Crown tournament.
Ugbo joins Morehead State transfer guard Jerone Morton as Cougs to join out of the transfer portal this spring. As the program looks to replace its entire starting five — Texas Tech-bound LeJuan Watts, Maryland-bound Isaiah Watts, Wake Forest-bound Nate Calmese and outgoing senior forwards Dane Erikstrup and Ethan Price — WSU now has around four scholarships available, but the number isn’t set the way it has been in years past.
Starting in 2025-26, college basketball teams will have roster limits (15 players) instead of scholarship limits, allowing coaches to spread out scholarships as they see fit. That means some players could be on full scholarship with others on a partial scholarship.
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WSU guard Cedric Coward is also in the portal, reportedly deciding between finalists Alabama and Duke while also intending to test the NBA draft waters. Freshman guard Marcus Wilson is in the portal as well, making six Cougars to enter the portal this offseason.
Even with only one year of American college basketball experience, Ugbo will give WSU a veteran presence. After switching from soccer to basketball at age 14, Ugbo spent the 2017-18 season playing for his local team, Netherlands-based CBV Binnenland, before joining BC Triple Threat, which is about an hour outside of his hometown of Barendrecht.
After two seasons of action with that club, Ugbo moved on to play for the Orange Lions Academy, which is associated with Basketball Nederland, the governing body of basketball in the Netherlands.
In 2021, Ugbo made his professional debut with German team Riesen Ludwigsburg, where he won Most Improved Player honors after his first season. In 2022, Ugbo played for the U20 Netherlands men’s national basketball team.
Ugbo’s best attributes appear to involve his athleticism, which unlocks his ability to run the floor in transition and defend multiple positions, a need for a WSU team that often struggled on defense in coach David Riley’s first season with the Cougars. Ugbo might not be a high-volume 3-point shooter, a priority in Riley’s positionless and free-flowing system, but he does give WSU physicality and defensive acumen.
