Josh Gomez will transfer to Bowling Green State University and join the men’s basketball team, coach Louis Orr announced Thursday. Gomez is a post player who will transfer from Iona and will sit out the coming season per NCAA rules. He will then have three years of eligibility remaining.
Gomez is a native of the Bronx, N.Y., who was the lone freshman on last year’s Iona team, which advanced to the NCAA Tournament. He played in 16 games for the Gaels, and in limited court time finished with 10 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots.
In the 16 games Gomez played, he had more than four minutes on the court just two times. In nine minutes in a home game against Saint Peter's he had four points and three rebounds, his college career highs.
Remember that Iona finished with a 25-8 record, and the Gaels earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament last season with a senior-laden lineup.
Here is a description of his game from the Iona web site: Has solid skills around the basket and a decent mid-range jumper... Working hard to improve strength and ball handling in the preseason... Iona's lone true freshman and youngest player.
Gomez is listed at 6-10, but his weight is a question. The BGSU release lists his weight at 235 pounds, while his bio on the Iona web site lists his weight at 200 pounds.
Gomez attended Rice High School in New York City’s Catholic High School Athletic Association. As a senior he averaged just 5.5 points per game, but he played well in several of the Raiders' biggest games that season.
According to the New York Post, Gomez had 14 points to help lead the Raiders to a sixth consecutive Archdiocesan title win against rival St. Raymond, and 12 in a semifinal win against All Hallows. In a televised-game at the SNY Invitational, Gomez 10 points and 14 rebounds in a victory against eventual New York State Federation Class AA champions Mount Vernon.
Click here to read a story in The Post about Gomez written when he verbally committed to Iona.
“Josh comes from a great high school program at the former Rice High School and he added experience playing on a veteran Iona team last year,” Orr said. “He has a strong work ethic and having him for three years is a big plus. I know the pedigree and passion of young men who come from New York City and he is also a good student and a quality person.
"On the floor, he will give us length and size in the front court. He can stretch the defense with his outside shooting as well as being able to score in the post. He is a mobile post player who blocks shots and runs the court well.”
