Hoops Housekeeping: Former No. 1 player in the class of 2008 transfers

There was a point in time not too long ago that John Riek was a sure thing.

Back in 2008, Rivals had the 7'2" Sudanese center as the No. 1 recruit in the country, Chad Ford had Riek as a top 10 pick in the draft, and just about everyone believed that Riek had the potential to be the first pick in the draft one day. That all seems so long ago, as news became official that Riek is transferring out of Mississippi State.


Riek was never really able to find a comfort zone with the Bulldogs. He played in just 14 games as a sophomore, averaging a measly 1.2 ppg and 1.3 rpg.

Riek still has NBA potential and he will be an intriguing piece for whoever picks him up the summer, but he is going to need to learn how to be more than tall if he is ever going to fulfill that potential.


Andre Walker transfers to Xavier: Its official. Walker is headed to Cincinnati to join the Musketeers. The 6'7" forward, who spent the previous three seasons at Vanderbilt, will be eligible to play immediately after graduating in three years. He'll provide some depth and versatility to Chris Mack's frontline, but Walker is probably not going to be a star with Xavier. Last season, he averaged 3.0 ppg and 3.0 rpg while battling a severe ankle sprain and mono.


Reggie Johnson out for six months: Jim Larrananga's Miami team took a huge hit late last week as Reggie Johnson -- their 6'10", 300 lb double-double machine of a center -- underwent successful knee surgery. Johnson had torn his meniscus earlier in the week. He will be out for five to six months as he recuperates. If all goes according to schedule, Johnson will be cleared by early December, but there is no telling how long it will take him to get back into game shape.


Hofstra adds another transfer: Mo Cassara has landed another big-time transfer, as Taran Buie has joined Jamal Coombs-McDaniel in choosing the Pride. Buie, a former top 100 player coming out of high school, spent last year at Penn State. But Talor Battle's half brother was only on the team for the first semester, as multiple disciplinary issues resulted in Ed DeChellis giving the freshman the boot.


Nick Russell to SMU: Russell, who announced his intentions to transfer out of Kansas State back in May, has picked a school to play out his final two years of eligibility. The 6'4" guard is headed to SMU to play for head coach Matt Doherty. Russell averaged 4.2 ppg and 1.9 rpg last season.


Valpo makes a high-major pick-up: Bobby Capobianco, who left Indiana amid a loss of playing time and a scholarship crunch, had finally settled on a school. The 6'10" forward is headed to Valpo to play for Bryce Drew.