Ebrima Dibba updates injury recovery, looks ahead to 2023
South Carolina played its first season under Lamont Paris without Ebrima Dibba, who came to Columbia expected to be a key piece last season.
The Gamecocks’ guard/wing arrived on campus and soon after suffered an Achilles injury, sidelining him for the entire season.
Dibba recently updated his recovery at the Gamecock Gala, mentioning he’ll be ready to go for 2023-24.
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“I’m getting there,” Dibba told GamecockCentral. “I just started running on the court. I’m going to be ready for next season.”
Dibba played four total (three full) seasons at Coastal Carolina before coming to South Carolina. Over 90 games (86 starts) he averaged 8.2 points, 5.2 assists (2.7 turnovers) and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 44.9 percent from the field.
His final full season with the Chanticleers he averaged 8.1 points on 45.7 percent shooting (34.4 percent from three and 80.2 percent from the line). Dibba also averaged 4.8 boards, 5.4 assists and 2.8 turnovers in 33.1 minutes per game.
Dibba still isn’t fully healthy. But he and South Carolina are beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel.
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“Very (exciting). One day I’ll tell what happened but it’s been very tough,” he said. “God’s been with me and I’ll come back from anything. Hopefully I’ll be back 100 percent soon.”
South Carolina was going to use Dibba as a point guard and stretch his 6-foot-6, 205-found frame all the way out to the wing if healthy.
But with his injury, it stretched a thin Gamecocks backcourt most of the season. Injury took Meechie Johnson out of the lineup early, thinning that group even more.
The injury relegated Dibba to watching practice and trying to learn the system from the sideline while the Gamecocks struggled this year en route to an 11-21 (4-14 SEC) year.
“It was very tough. I love playing basketball and love winning,” Dibba said. “So losing and not being able to contribute made it very hard. It was nothing I could do and I’m just looking forward to next season.”
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Dibba wanted to still learn the Gamecocks’ system despite the injury, and Paris even called him almost like an assistant coach at times. And hopes he can parlay that into a productive season when healthy.
“You can see the positives in everything. Me being injured I got to watch a lot of practice. So I’m learning the system better by watching,” Dibba said. “That’s going to help me for next year, 100 percent. Just take the positive and look forward to seeing the positive things.”
The Gamecocks are in the midst of building their roster for next season, bringing in a trio of transfer portal prospects and two high school players so far to pair with the returning players.
They’ve added Ta’Lon Cooper (Minnesota), Stephen Clark (The Citadel) and Myles Stute (Vanderbilt) while bringing in freshmen Collin Murray-Boyles and Arden Conyers.
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“It’s an exciting time,” Dibba said. “We’re getting a lot of new recruits and looking forward to next season. We’re looking forward, learning from last season and trying to move forward.”
