Wichita State center Kenny Pohto has officially entered NCAA basketball transfer portal
Kenny Pohto, the 6-foot-11 starting center this past season on the Wichita State men’s basketball team, has officially entered the transfer portal, a source with knowledge of the situation told The Eagle.
Pohto is the first WSU player to enter the transfer portal since Saturday’s firing of head coach Isaac Brown. The decision allows him the possibility to explore other options, while keeping a potential return to WSU on the table.
ESPN draft analyst Jonathan Givony was the first to report the news.
Although his 3-point stroke never materialized in two seasons at WSU, Pohto made strides as a sophomore starting center when the team started emphasizing an inside-out approach. Once the ball was in the hands of the Sweden native more, he was able to showcase impressive passing ability and vision for a big man.
He also morphed from a pick-and-pop player into a pick-and-roll threat this season. While his shooting percentage at the rim left something to be desired, Pohto improved throughout the season and played the best basketball of his career in the final two months of the season.
Pohto scored a career-high 28 points on 13-of-15 shooting in a double-overtime win over SMU on Feb. 12 and grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds against No. 1-ranked Houston on Feb. 2.
Pohto started 30 games this past season for the Shockers, averaging 8.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.7 blocks while shooting 48.9% from the field, 10.3% on 3-pointers and 61.6% on free throws. After a slow start and a shift in offensive philosophy, Pohto averaged 10.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks in conference play.
Pohto played two seasons for WSU after spending three years in prep school at Sunrise Christian Academy. A native of Sweden, he also represented his home country in the FIBA European Championships and most recently the under-20 Nordic Cup.
He was originally signed with Minnesota but was released from his letter of intent following a coaching change. He chose WSU in the spring of 2021 over finalists in Utah and SMU and received interest from Ohio State, Georgia and Vanderbilt, among others.
It’s not hard to imagine Pohto will attract high-major attention in the portal.
This story was originally published March 13, 2023 at 1:37 PM.
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