Vanderbilt forward Kijani Wright out indefinitely with health issue

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt forward Kijani Wright, among the transfers brought in by first-year coach Mark Byington, is out indefinitely with a health issue that isn’t related to basketball.

“Due to the personal nature of medical information, no further details will be shared at this time,” Vanderbilt said in a statement.

The 6-foot-9 Wright spent the last two seasons at Southern California where he played 57 games. He averaged 3.9 points and 2.6 rebounds as a sophomore, setting a career high scoring 12 points at Oregon State. As a freshman, he ranked fifth with 27 offensive rebounds and averaged 10 minutes a game off the bench.

He was a 2022 McDonald’s All-American at Sierra Canyon in Los Angeles and played for USA Basketball’s U16 national team at the FIBA Americas Championships.

Vanderbilt hired Byington in late March after he took James Madison to the NCAA Tournament. Byington is 220-137 in 11 seasons as a head coach, including an 82-36 mark the last four seasons at James Madison.