Coming out of high school in Houston, Daniel Utomi says he heard from a lot of college programs intrigued by his potential, but because his grades were poor the offers didn't follow.

Except one.

"Akron took a chance on me," Utomi said. "I had one semester left to meet the certain GPA or whatever was required, and Akron took a chance on me my last semester. Luckily that last semester I got over that hump. Akron was my only offer, if I can remember."

Now, after four years and three full seasons with the Zips, Utomi is taking a chance on himself and eager to see how his game translates to the Pac-12. The 6-foot-6 forward is joining USC as a graduate transfer, he and the Trojans announced earlier this week, and he went in-depth with TrojanSports.com about that decision.

"I just felt like it was the perfect fit for me, and also felt like that school and staff can give me the best chance and the best opportunity out of all the schools to make the most money [after college]. And also to win as well," Utomi said. "They have a top recruiting class coming in. They've got leadership already over there. I just felt like adding me, you know, it's almost like a complete team."

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