Ugboh commits to Tulsa
On Friday, Tulsa coaches added to an already stellar 2019 class with the commitment of 6-foot-11 big man Emmanuel Ugboh of Iowa Western Community College. Originally from Nigeria, he chose Tulsa over offers from Arizona, Kansas State, UConn, Ole Miss, Pitt, Miami, Rutgers, Missouri State, Kent State and others.
"I built a relationship with the (Tulsa) coaches and had a good time on my visit," he told Inside Tulsa Sports on Friday afternoon. "It felt like home."
Ugboh made an official visit to the Tulsa campus from March 28 to March 30. He also visited Miami and Pitt recently. During his TU trip, Ugboh said he made a connection with Hurricane forward Martins Igbanu, who is also from Nigeria. That bond may have helped with Tulsa picking up Ugboh's commitment.
"It had a little to do with it," he said.
Ugboh averaged 12.1 points and 9.4 rebounds as a sophomore this season, while shooting 66.8 percent from the field. During his freshman season, he averaged 6.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.
Ugboh’s commitment came two days after Tulsa signed two former 4-star prospects on the first day of the regular signing period: Pearl River Community College forward Brandon Rachal and Arkansas transfer Keyshawn Embery-Simpson.
Rachal, a former LSU signee, transferred to Pearl River after a coaching change at LSU. In 30 games at Pearl River this season, Rachal averaged 15.5 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. He chose TU over offers from TCU, Georgetown, East Carolina, West Virginia, UAB, ULM, Louisiana Tech, Pitt, Seton Hall and Stephen F. Austin.
Arkansas transfer Keyshawn Embery-Simpson picked Tulsa over strong interest from Oklahoma State, TCU, Virginia Tech, Butler and others. The 6-foot-3 and 202-pound combo guard averaged 4.1 points and 1.2 rebounds per game as a true freshman with the Razorbacks this past season. He may have to sit out a year at TU due to NCAA transfer rules, but he is expected to apply for a hardship waiver.
Also in Tulsa’s 2019 basketball recruiting class is Bakersfield (CA) Liberty point guard Isaiah Hill, who signed with TU in the early November signing period. As a junior at Liberty, Hill averaged 22.8 points, eight rebounds and six assists, earning first-team All-Area honors from the Bakersfield Californian. He upped his scoring to 26 points per game as a senior.
Hill chose TU over offers from Fresno State, Boise State, San Diego, Pacific, UC-Davis, UC-Irvine and others.
Stay tuned to Inside Tulsa Sports for all the latest information on Tulsa basketball and recruiting.
