Former Boise State center Emmanuel Ugbo commits to Washington State

A second former Boise State men’s basketball player has found a new home in the transfer portal. 

After Chris Lockett Jr. signed with Jacksonville last week, Emmanuel Ugbo announced his commitment to Washington State on Monday. 

The 6-foot-8 Ugbo became Boise State’s starting center during the second half of Mountain West Conference play. He finished his sophomore season with 12 starts while averaging 10 minutes per game, putting up 3.1 points and 2.3 rebounds. 

A native of The Netherlands, Ugbo committed to the Broncos and head coach Leon Rice in April 2023. He didn’t play during the 2023-24 season but became a key member of Boise State’s rotation as a sophomore. 

According to multiple reports, Ugbo also visited Charlotte, UC Santa Barbara and Tulsa after hopping in the transfer portal. He will have two seasons of eligibility remaining. 

In head coach David Riley’s first year at the helm, Washington State finished 19-15 overall last season with an 8-10 mark in West Coast Conference play. The Cougars participated alongside Boise State in the College Basketball Crown. 

Washington State will be an affiliate member of the WCC again next year before linking up with Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, Oregon State, San Diego State and Utah State in the new Pac-12 for the 2026-27 season. 

Lockett Jr., a 6-foot-4 guard, committed to Jacksonville last week. 

Lockett Jr. averaged 3.1 points and 1.4 rebounds during his redshirt freshman season for the Broncos. He made five starts in the middle of the year but fell out of the rotation down the stretch. 

The Broncos signed two high-profile transfers in point guard Dylan Andrews (UCLA) and forward Drew Fielder (Georgetown).

The 6-foot-2 Andrews started 29 games for the Bruins a season ago and averaged 6.9 points and 3.4 assists. Andrews was a bigger offensive contributor as a sophomore at 12.9 points, 3.7 assists and 2.2 rebounds. 

Andrews has one year of eligibility remaining.

The 6-foot-11 Fielder started all 31 games for the Hoyas last season, averaging 7.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.0 assists. He has two years of eligibility remaining. 

Boise State also added a four-star prep product last week in Spencer Ahrens of Arizona’s Bella Vista College Prep. 

The 6-foot-9 Ahrens is rated the No. 116 overall prospect in the On3 class of 2025 rankings. 

Here are Boise State’s four transfer portal losses:

Center Dylan Anderson 

Guard Moses Hipps

Guard Chris Lockett Jr. (Jacksonville)

Center Emmanuel Ugbo (Washington State)

Here are Boise State’s two portal additions: 

Guard Dylan Andrews (UCLA)

Forward Drew Fielder (Georgetown)

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