Texas A&M lands all-conference scoring guard late into portal offseason

The college basketball transfer portal has been all but dried up in the past two months, with very few eligible people left. But one player recently received a waiver from the NCAA to play next season in Ali Abdou Dibba, a 6’4 senior guard who played for three different schools to this point and is coming off a career year at Southern Illinois.

Dibba averaged 17.2 ppg and 4.8 rpg, shooting 49% from the field and 34% from three-point range. That includes 11 games of at least 20 points, with one being a career-high 33 points and nine rebounds on the road at Belmont. With the NCAA giving him a 5th year, Dibba immediately became the best available player for teams to land. 

He made a decision quickly on where he’ll play his final season.

First-year head coach Bucky McMillian was very aggressive in rebuilding the roster in the offseason, landing several transfers. The most notable names include Pop Isaacs (Creighton), Mackenzie Mgbako (Indiana), and Rylan Griffen (Kansas). There’s also double-digit scorer and former NC State guard Marcus Hill, and Rueben Dominguez, a 6’7 international wing prospect.

Does the addition of Dibba change anything for Texas A&M? One consequence is that there’s even more perimeter depth for next season, which would allow Mgbako to play almost exclusively at the four. This would allow them to play more potent offensive lineups, and with Texas Tech transfer Federiko Federiko anchoring the defense at the center position, the team won’t struggle on that end of the court.

After 14 of 16 teams from the SEC made the NCAA Tournament, the Aggies and Coach McMillian have to hit the ground running to have a chance in 2026. With the previous roster additions and now Dibba joining late, the team should be very competitive.