The first and so far only Miami Hurricanes basketball player to transfer after the retirement of head coach Jim Larranaga last month has found a new program. Freshman forward Isaiah Johnson-Arigu will enroll for the second semester at Iowa and sit out before commencing play with the Hawkeyes for the 2025-26 season.
Johnson-Arigu announced his entry into the transfer portal on Monday. In eight games with Miami, Johnson-Arigua scored eight points, made four of 10 shots from the floor, was zero for four on three-point attempts and had six rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Miami signed Johnson-Arigu as the 129th player overall and 26th small forward and third player in Minnesota in the 2024 class out of Minneapolis, Totino-Grace. Johnson-Arigu will have three years of eligibility remaining with Iowa. Guards Jalil Bethea and Austin Swartz remain from the 2024 Miami class.
Miami will have a major roster overhaul, particularly in the front court for the second consecutive season. Centers Lynn Kidd and forwards Yussif Basa-Ama, Matthew Cleveland, Kiree Huie and Brandon Johnson are all in their final seasons of eligibility. Huie has not played this season and could receive a medical redshirt.
NEWS: Miami freshman small forward Isaiah Johnson-Arigu, a former 4⭐️ recruit, is entering the transfer portal, he told @On3sports.
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) January 6, 2025
Miami players were given a 30-day window to hit the transfer portal after Larrañaga stepped down. https://t.co/0nsHCKzdi9 pic.twitter.com/IwCpuJq0Ep
Former Miami forward Isaiah Johnson-Arigu has committed to Iowa after entering portal
Miami signed center Ben Ahmed and shooting guard Matthew Able during the Early Signing Period in November. There has been no news either way of Able and Ahmed intend to stay with Miami after Larranaga's retirement. The decisions of Able and Ahmed will likely depend on who Miami hires as the new head coach.
Able and Ahmed currently make up the 34th-ranked 2025 class. Guards Jalen Blackmon and Nijel Pack are also in their final seasons of eligibility for Miami. Larranaga's replacement will have an extremely busy spring making over the Miami roster for the 2025-26 season. Miami has a long way to go to improve the program entering the 2025-26 season.