Former MN prep star back in the transfer portal after midseason move to Iowa

It seems like there's a new Minnesota native entering the transfer portal every day, and the latest is former Totino-Grace High School standout Isaiah Johnson-Arigu, who immediately becomes one of the most intriguing prospects available.

NEW: Iowa guard Isaiah Johnson-Arigu has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal, @PeteNakos_ reports.

Isaiah transferred from Miami in January.https://t.co/MorD1lSVIl pic.twitter.com/ilmV1QdcCB
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal_) April 4, 2025

Johnson-Arigu was a dominant force in high school, averaging 20.2 points, 8.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game while leading the Eagles to a state title as a senior. The 247Sports Composite ranked him as a four-star recruit. He was the 129th-ranked player in the country and the third-best player in Minnesota, behind Jackson McAndrew and Daniel Freitag.

Johnson-Arigu held an offer from Niko Medved's Colorado State Rams, Nebraska and Arizona State, among others, before originally committing to Miami (FL). He played in eight games this season before longtime head coach Jim Larrañaga surprisingly retired in January.

He went to the transfer portal and signed with Iowa in January, but rules held him out for the rest of his freshman season. The Hawkeyes made a coaching change, so he's elected to go back into the portal.

Listed at 6-foot-7, 220 pounds, he will now look for a new school, and he will have four years of eligibility remaining. He's an incredible athlete, and he would fit Medved's system seamlessly as an athletic forward who can switch one through five defensively.

Johnson-Arigu likely already has a relationship with Medved and some of his staff, and the Gophers could use some more frontcourt depth. He joins a long list of Minnesota natives in the transfer portal that could make sense for the Gophers to pursue this off-season.

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