Colorado State head coach Larry Eustachy added a nice piece to his front court for the 2015-16 season on Saturday, as South Plains College power forward Emmanuel Omogbo verbally committed to the Mountain West program. News of Omogbo’s commitment was first reported by Brad Winton of JucoRecruiting.com.
Emmanuel Omogbo of South Plains College has committed to Colorado State.
— Brad Winton (@BradWinton) October 5, 2014
The 6-foot-8 Omogbo averaged 7.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game as a freshman at South Plains, shooting 57.5% from the field. After serving as a supplementary piece in 2013-14 Omogbo is expected to be a key piece for South Plains this season, with the Sporting News naming him a preseason junior college All-American.
Omogbo’s commitment is an important one for Colorado State, with the Rams due to lose multiple front court players at the conclusion of the 2014-15 season. Among the departures in the front court will be J.J. Avila, Stanton Kidd and Marcus Holt. Avila, who began his college career at Navy, was one of the Mountain West’s best newcomers last season as he accounted for 16.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
Avila was a third team All-Mountain West selection last season, and Kidd is expected to have an impact as well. Kidd, who sat out last season per NCAA transfer rules, was a first team All-MEAC selection at North Carolina Central in 2012-13. Adding Omogbo to the fold will help Colorado State as it looks to replace those two next season.