Penn State men’s basketball transfer finds new home in Big 12

STATE COLLEGE — Former Penn State men’s basketball guard Izaiah Brockington has appeared to find a new permanent home after his second entry into the transfer portal.

Brockington announced he’s transferring to Iowa State in a social media post Wednesday.

The Philadelphia native’s announcement caps an interesting offseason. Brockington was among the seven Penn State players who initially entered the transfer portal at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season — that number eventually rose to eight — but he was the first of three players who announced he was returning to the Lions to play for new coach Micah Shrewsberry.

Brockington, however, re-entered the transfer portal in April, and this departure stuck.

?#C5C? pic.twitter.com/RwVYziiBJd

— Izaiah Brockington (@TheOnlyiZB) May 5, 2021

Brockington, who starred at Archbishop Ryan in northeast Philly, averaged 12.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game in 25 appearances (24 starts) for the Lions in 2020-21. He was the team’s second-leading scorer.

An athletic 6-foot-5 guard, Brockington wrote on social media upon his first return to the Lions that he had received interest from teams in most major conferences during his time in the transfer portal.

In Iowa State, Brockington joins a rebuilding program under new coach T.J. Otzelberger. The Cyclones were 2-21, including 0-18 in Big 12 play, last season. Brockington isn’t the first former Penn State player to leave State College for Ames, Iowa, either.

Former Lions guard Rasir Bolton spent the past two years at Iowa State after spending his freshman year at Penn State. Bolton is now at Gonzaga.

For Brockington, the move to Iowa State is his second transfer in a career that has seen a number of twists and turns. Brockington was initially committed to NJIT coming out of Archbishop Ryan, but he decommitted and planned to attend prep school. Then, he committed to St. Bonaventure and spent a year with the Bonnies.

Brockington then transferred to Penn State, where he sat out the 2018-19 season to fulfill transfer requirements. In 2019-20, he averaged 8.1 points per game off the bench for a team that seemed poised to make its first NCAA Tournament since 2011 before the coronavirus pandemic shut down the season.

Brockington is the seventh of the eight Penn State players in the transfer portal to find a permanent home. Forwards John Harrar and Seth Lundy are returning to play for Shrewsberry. Guards Jamari Wheeler (Ohio State) and Myreon Jones (Florida) and forwards Trent Buttrick (Massachusetts) and Patrick Kelly (Fordham) have found new homes. Guard DJ Gordon entered the transfer portal last week and has not found a new school yet.

Shrewsberry has added a pair of guards in the portal in Gardner-Webb transfer Jaheam Cornwall and Siena transfer Jalen Pickett. The addition of those two players was officially announced earlier this week.