NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt men’s basketball has added Southern Cal transfer Kijani Wright to the 2024-25 roster, head coach Mark Byington announced on Tuesday.
A 6-foot-9, 235-pound forward, Wright is a former McDonald’s All-American who played the past two seasons for the Trojans.
“Kijani is extremely important for our success next year,” said Byington. “He has great size, but I’m really impressed by his athleticism and movement for his size. It’s going to be an exciting summer working with him and developing his game. He will be great in our ball screen actions as well as playing both on the perimeter and around the rim.”
As a sophomore in 2023-24, Wright appeared in 28 games off the bench for USC. He averaged 3.9 points and 2.6 rebounds in just 12 minutes per contest. In 21 minutes of action against Oregon State in February, Wright posted a career-best 12 points along with five rebounds and two blocks.
Wright shot 58.4 percent from the field last season and 71.4 percent from the free throw line. Against SEC foe Auburn, Wright scored six points on 3-of-4 from the field while grabbing a season-best six rebounds in 17 minutes.
As a freshman, Wright appeared in 29 games off the bench and ranked fifth in offensive rebounding for the Trojans in just 10 minutes per game. He grabbed a career-best seven boards against Arizona State in 2022-23.
Prior to joining the Trojans, Wright was a 2022 McDonald’s All-American at Sierra Canyon High School in the Los Angeles area and ranked as the No. 38 recruit in the country. He also played for the USA U16 National Team which went undefeated and won gold in the FIBA Americas Championships.
Wright will be a junior in 2024-25 and has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
