Washington enters transfer portal

Washington enters transfer portal

By Robert Alfonso Jr.

Isiah Washington is on the move once again.

Washington put his name in the transfer portal. The junior guard is looking to leave the Iona Gaels program confirmed both by multiple sources. This would be the second time the former Mr. New York Basketball player is leaving a college program.

Washington, from Harlem, left the Minnesota Gophers program of the Big 10 after two years.

Washington gained national notoriety as the co-founder of the “Jelly Fam” movement. He is a social media darling.

While things did not necessarily work out in Minnesota, Washington was having a solid season on the New Rochelle campus for the Gaels.

The 6-foot-1 guard averaged 11 points, five rebounds, four assists, and just under two steals per game in 23 starts. He also shot 40 percent from the field and 33 percent from the three-point line. These numbers are much improved from his Minnesota days.

Washington averaged six points per game for the Gophers in two seasons. The St. Raymond’s High product returned to the New York area because of his ailing grandmother.

The NCAA granted Washington a waiver to play right away for Iona. This would have given him the opportunity to play for two seasons with the Gaels. Now, wherever he ends up, Washington will have to sit out one season unless the NCAA gives him another waiver.

There are some things deeper than the surface regarding Washington’s decision to transfer yet again. In Minnesota, Washington played for Richard Pitino. The Gaels’ new coach is legendary Hall of Famer Rick Pitino, Richard’s father.

The Gaels also signed Omar Rowe, a 6-foot-5 wing from Believe Academy. It was the last scholarship Iona had available. This then left Washington with no other option than to look for a new home.