Former Pitt guard Xavier Johnson chooses Indiana as transfer destination

Apr. 8—Xavier Johnson, who started 81 games in nearly three seasons at Pitt before leaving this year with two weeks left in the regular season, announced Wednesday on Instagram that he will transfer to Indiana and play for new Hoosiers coach Mike Woodson. He chose Indiana over national champion Baylor, Final Four team Houston and St. Joseph's of the Atlantic 10.

Johnson, a junior point guard, averaged 13.7 points and shot 40.2% from the field during his three seasons at Pitt. He averaged 14.2 points and was second in the ACC in assists per game (5.7) this season. He scored 32 points in a victory against Virginia Tech three weeks before he decided to transfer even after Capel kept him out of the starting lineup.

Johnson and former Pitt teammate Au'Diese Toney left the team Feb. 24 and Feb. 25 after reaching separate mutual agreements with coach Jeff Capel.

Toney, Johnson and Trey McGowens enrolled at Pitt almost at the same time after Capel was hired before the 2018-2019 season. Toney recently announced he will transfer to Arkansas. McGowens left after the 2019-2020 season for Nebraska.

Johnson was committed to Nebraska before flipping to Pitt when Cornhuskers assistant Kenya Hunter left for Connecticut. Hunter now is an assistant under Woodson at Indiana.

At Indiana, Johnson will be teammates with former Pitt guard Parker Stewart, who transferred to Indiana this year from UT-Martin. Stewart left Pitt when Capel was hired in 2018 and did not play on the same team with Johnson.

Since the end of this season, former Pitt players Abdoul Karim Coulibaly and Gerald Drumgoole Jr. also said they will transfer. Coulibaly will attend St. Bonaventure.

Center Terrell Brown entered the transfer portal after spending four seasons at Pitt. He will be a graduate transfer at San Diego next season.

Jerry DiPaola is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jerry by email at jdipaola@triblive.com or via Twitter .