West Virginia transfer Mohamed Wague commits to Alabama
Alabama’s men’s basketball program continues to reign supreme in the transfer portal. After making three key additions from April to June, Bama landed a commitment from yet another transfer target on Wednesday.
What landing West Virginia transfer Mohamed Wague means for Alabama
Moments ago, former West Virginia big man Mohamed Wague announced that he’ll be heading to Tuscaloosa for his next stop. Wague, who stands at 6-foot-10, 225 pounds, committed to Alabama over Kansas State (visited last week) and others.
Wague wasted little time in making his decision. The Bamako, Mali, native visited Alabama from late Sunday night to Tuesday afternoon, and committed to the program roughly 24 hours later.
ICYMI: West Virginia transfer Mohamed Wague recaps Alabama visit
On3 National Basketball Recruiting Expert Joe Tipton broke Wednesday’s news, and shared his thoughts on the commitment with BamaOnLine.
“You were worried about Alabama’s front court after they lost Charles Bediako and Noah Clowney,” Tipton said. “But in the transfer portal and even at the high school ranks, Nate Oats and his staff have done a great job of getting some big men to go along with returning Nick Pringle. Obviously, adding Jarin Stevenson and him reclassing up… beating North Carolina was huge.
“But adding Grant Nelson out of the transfer portal was even bigger,” Tipton continued. “And then finally the last piece of the puzzle — Mohamed Wague from West Virginia — completes that front court and solidifies it.”
Coach’s Take: New Alabama transfer has “all the pieces to be a legit pro”
Tipton says the benefit of adding Wague is that Alabama could potentially have him for more than the 2023-2024 season.
“He’s a rising junior, so he’ll have a little bit more time left than a couple of other bigs there,” Tipton said. “A lot of the additions that take place sometimes are only one-year guys. It’s kind of a one-year lease so to speak, but Mo could be there for two years.”
Wague has added significant strength since he was a high schooler, and will be immediately ready to handle SEC competition.
“Just kind of an around-the-rim big,” Tipton said. “Good size. 6-foot-11, 225 pounds. Definitely ready to battle in the SEC, and gives you a nice in-the-post presence along with the other three guys that I mentioned.”
Mohamed Wague’s history at the collegiate level
In his 2022-2023 campaign, Wague averaged 4.1 points and 3.1 rebounds in just 10.6 minutes per game with the Mountaineers. He did make 46 of his 62 attempts from the field, a shooting percentage of 74.2 percent. His season was cut short, however, by a foot injury sustained in February.
At Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, Wague averaged 14.8 points and 11.9 rebounds per game. He was a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I First Team All-American, and led the country in offensive rebounds (170) and in total rebounds (417). Wague was also third in blocked shots (102).
Alabama fans, there will be more coverage of Wague’s commitment to the Tide on BamaOnLine, so stay tuned!
