Inside The Panthers

Former Pitt F Transfers to Minnesota

A former Pitt Panthers forward transferred to Minnesota to finish out their college career.

Dominic Campbell

NMSU guard Femi Odukale looks toward the basket during a college basketball game on Thursday, Jan.
NMSU guard Femi Odukale looks toward the basket during a college basketball game on Thursday, Jan. / Meg Potter/Sun-News / USA TODAY NETWORK

PITTSBURGH -- Former Pitt Panthers forward Femi Odukale announced his transfer to Minnesota to close out his college career.

Odukale committed to Pitt as a member of the Class of 2020, coming in as a three-star guard with 247Sports and Rivals ranking him in their top 200 players.

He played in 22 games and started five contests as a freshman in the COVID-19 impacted 2020-21 season. He also averaged 20.4 minutes, 6.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 0.9 steals per game, respectively, while shooting 46.4% from the field, 33.3% from 3-point range and 49.3% from the foul line.

Odukale saw his playing time increase as a sophomore the following season, playing in 31 games and starting 28 of them. He averaged career-highs in 32.4 minutes, 10.8 points and 3.4 assists per game, along with 3.4 assists and 1.0 steals per game, respectively. He shot 39.1% from the field, 33.0% from behind the arc and a career-high 63.0% from the free throw line as well.

With Pitt basketball undergoing major changes following that 2021-22 season, accruing a porous 11-21 record, Odukale chose to transfer closer to home to Seton Hall in South Orange, N.J., as he is a Brooklyn, N.Y. native.

Odukale played in 32 games and started 31 contests, both career-highs, as a junior in the 2022-23 season. He averaged 27.6 minutes, a career-low 7.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.3 steals and a career-high 1.6 steals per game, respectively. He also made 43.5% of his shots from the floor, a career-low 28.9% of his attempts from deep and 51.5% of his shots from the foul line.

He would transfer once again to New Mexico, where he spent this past season. Odukale started in 16 of the 26 games he played, averaging 28.7 minutes, 10.7 points, 3.0 assists, 1.1 steals and career-highs with 6.4 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game, respectively. He shot 43.2% from the field, 31.0% from 3-point range and 49.6% from the foul line.

This transfer to Minnesota makes it three different schools in the past three seasons and four in total in just five seasons for Odukale. He is also able to play a fifth season without redshirting due to the COVID-19 extra year of eligibility.

Odukale has not made the postseason in any of his first four years and will look to do so with the Golden Gophers this upcoming season.

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Dominic Campbell

DOMINIC CAMPBELL

Follow Dominic Campbell on Twitter.