Soon-to-be-graduate and former WSU guard Ike Iroegbu has finally finished his four years as a member of the Cougar basketball program.

Iroegbu’s career at WSU was far from smooth sailing, as he never got the chance to play in any postseason event. The guard experienced a lack of team success at WSU, as the team never finished a season above .500.

As a product of Oak Hill Academy, a well-known prep school in Virginia with a stellar basketball program, losing basketball games was new to Iroegbu.

Oak Hill is known as a factory that produces high-end basketball players, which aided Iroegbu in his recruitment process. He drew offers from schools such as Virginia Tech and Memphis. Iroegbu eventually decided to commit to WSU and arrived on campus as a freshman to start playing at a high level immediately.

“[Oak Hill] got me ready for college, as it was just school and basketball right after class. You would go to the gym and start working out and practicing,” Iroegbu said. “It also helped me get ready for the travel; we played 44 games, traveling all over the country for games.”

Between Iroegbu’s freshman and sophomore years, he experienced a head coaching change as the coach who had recruited him to Pullman, former Head Coach Ken Bone, was let go. Athletic Director Bill Moos then hired current Head Coach Ernie Kent.

“The transition was very smooth, Coach Kent is a great coach to play for,” Iroegbu said. “The new system really fit my style with running up and down the court.”

Iroegbu ended his career with his name relatively high up in the WSU record books, finishing 19th in career points with 1,232 and eighth in assists with 375.

Despite ending his career with good stats, Iroegbu felt that his lasting legacy for the program will be more than just numbers.

“It’s the start of a new age,” Iroegbu said. “I felt like I paved the way for the start of something new in the program.”

That is exactly what Iroegbu has done to the program, according to Kent.

“[Iroegbu] moved the needle in the program, it just feels right,” Kent said in an interview with WSU Athletic Communications. “We have coaches and recruits calling us now, that’s just tribute to the leadership and sticking to it.”

As far as what the future holds for Iroegbu, he is preparing for the NBA draft by working out for teams and has recently signed on with the Wasserman Media Group athletic agency. The company has clientele including former NBA MVP and New York Knicks point guard Derrick Rose.

Iroegbu will continue to develop his skills by spending the summer playing in the NBA summer league in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Orlando, Florida, for a chance to make it on a professional roster.