Former WSU center Rueben Chinyelu transfers to Florida

PULLMAN — Rueben Chinyelu is following a former coach to the south.

The former Washington State center is transferring to Florida, the Gators’ program announced Thursday, becoming the fourth former Cougar to find a new home this offseason.

WSU landed the 6-foot-11 Chinyelu — who averaged 4.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game in 35 games with 12 starts as a true freshman — in large part thanks to recruiting work by former assistant coach John Andrzejek, who left for the same job at Florida last summer. 

“We are thrilled to welcome Reuben into our basketball family here at Florida,” UF coach Todd Golden said via release. “He is an ultra-talented young man who fits into the culture of our program seamlessly. He has fantastic tools on both the offensive and defensive end, and we expect him to make a big jump across the board as he enters his second collegiate season.”

A native of Enugu Agidi, Nigeria, Chinyelu became WSU’s all-time freshman blocks leader last season. He provided valuable rim protection and physical defense, supplying a career-high 12 points in the Cougs’ road win over then-No. 4 Arizona in late February. He combined for 5 points in WSU’s two NCAA tournament games in late March.

Chinyelu was also courted by Gonzaga, Mississippi State, UCLA, Kentucky, Georgia, Kansas State and Memphis, according to Joe Tipton of On3 Sports.

Chinyelu, one of 10 Cougs to hit the portal this offseason, is the fourth to find a new home: Star guard Myles Rice transferred to Indiana, center Oscar Cluff committed to South Dakota State and guard Dylan Darling landed at Idaho State. 

Cougs add another Eagle

Washington State coach David Riley has landed a second player from his former squad.

Eastern Washington transfer LeJuan Watts has committed to WSU, he announced on social media on Thursday, becoming the second former Eagle to follow Riley to WSU.

Watts, last season’s Big Sky Newcomer of the Year as a redshirt freshman, averaged 9 points and 5 rebounds per game for EWU’s regular-season championship team. A 6-foot-6 wing, Watts also shot 40% from beyond the arc, albeit on about one attempt per game.

Watts — no relation to rising sophomore guard Isaiah Watts — joins former EWU center Ethan Price, who announced his commitment on Tuesday, as former Eagles to become Cougars. It gives WSU two players to replace the 10 who have hit the portal this offseason, including four who have found new homes, most recently former center Rueben Chinyelu, who announced his commitment to Florida on Thursday.

A Fresno, Calif., native, Watts scored in double figures on 14 occasions last season, including a career-high 21-point outing in an overtime win over Montana State. In one stretch, a nine-game EWU win streak, Watts also scored in double figures in three of four games. He sank multiple triples on two occasions.

With three years of eligibility remaining, Watts figures to provide the Cougs with much of what he did the Eagles: sturdy, versatile defense, efficient scoring (his offensive rating of 120.7 ranked 11th in the Big Sky) and reliable rebounding (he ranked in the conference’s top 20 in both offensive and defensive rebounding rate).

Watts also comes from a sports-heavy lineage. His father, the late Walter Watts, played basketball for Utah under Rick Majerus and was the team’s second leading scorer and rebounder on the 1991 Sweet 16 team. His sister, Brea, played basketball at Colorado and his brother, Walter, played football at Utah.