The underdog New York college basketball team has grabbed a player from St. John’s.
Fordham has landed former top-100 recruit Kelvin Odih via the transfer portal, according to multiple reports, after just one year with the Red Storm. It is the first time since Fordham has grabbed a four-star recruit since 2008, when the Rams signed Jio Fontan.
Odih originally committed to West Virginia under coach Darian DeVries, but when DeVries left, Odih reopened his recruitment and chose St. John’s over Marquette, Rutgers and Utah.
Odih made a name for himself at La Salle Academy in Providence, R.I., putting up 19.1 points, 11.4 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game. He transferred to South Kent in Connecticut and then to SoCal Academy.
Odih joined St. John’s last season, but was stuffed deep on the depth chart and worked through two injuries during the season. The freshman appeared in only 10 games, averaging just 1.5 points per game.
The path to more playing time was not made easier with Rick Pitino’s squad reloading through the portal.
Odih decided to stay in New York, and he has the chance to make an immediate impact as one of the best talents to play for Fordham in a long time. Coach Nick Light of Rhode Island Elite, Odih’s former AAU coach, believes the Rams will benefit massively from landing his former star.
“Kelvin is a high-level athlete whose ability to defend and rebound will help Fordham win games from Day 1, adding his growing skill set,” Light told Zagsblog. “I think he has a major impact on a Fordham team that will turn heads this year.”
Odih will try to lead Fordham to its first-ever A10 title and first March Madness appearance since 1992.
