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Just call him ‘E-Bo.’ Incoming Gamecock transfer Ebrima Dibba praised for versatility

A few months ago, Ebrima Dibba was on the other side.

At one of the lowest moments of their season, Frank Martin’s South Carolina Gamecocks lost at Coastal Carolina by 24 points on Dec. 1. Dibba was one of Coastal’s starting guards in that game, and though he scored just five points, he helped facilitate the offense with four assists.

Fast forward to May, and Dibba is now a member of the Gamecocks team he helped take down. New head coach Lamont Paris and his staff reeled in the versatile 6-foot-6 guard as one of five transfers this offseason and could lean on the fifth-year player for veteran experience.

Last year for the Chanticleers, Dibba averaged 8.1 points per game, while shooting 45.9% from the field and 35.5% on his 3-point attempts. Tall for a guard, Dibba also pulled down 4.8 rebounds per game while ranking 22nd nationally and first in the Sun Belt with 5.5 assists per game. Originally from Sweden, Dibba has yearned for a chance to play in the Power 5, and he’ll have that opportunity this season.

Paris’ new assistant coaches each offered scouting reports on the team’s incoming transfers and how they view their roles on the team. Here’s what they had to say about Dibba, who the team has already nicknamed “E-Bo.”

Scouting reports on Ebrima Dibba

Tanner Bronson: “Ebrima, I think if you watch him, he’s a long guard that his best skill is how he sees the floor and his unselfishness. I think we actually need to get him to be probably a little more selfish, because he’s a capable scorer, he can get to the rim, he’s good off ball screens. He’s got really good size and length. And so he’s another older guy that’s graduating, and I think he could be a little bit of a dynamic guy, and he’s going to spread the ball around.”

Eddie Shannon: “E-Bo is a big-time competitor. He has two years left. He felt like he should have been playing Power 5 basketball from Day 1. He has aspirations of playing at the next level.”

Tim Buckley: “Versatile, can do a lot of different things, knows when to pass, when to shoot. I think he can defend a lot of different positions as well, because of his length. And he’s an experienced guy who came for all the right reasons, which I think is important. And then he’s a very good basketball player, and he’s been coached very well at Coastal Carolina. So that’s exciting.”

Coastal Carolina guard Ebrima Dibba shoots in front of Fresno State 7-foot NBA prospect Orlando Robinson on Friday night in the championship game of The Basketball Classic at the HTC Center in Conway, SC.
Coastal Carolina guard Ebrima Dibba shoots in front of Fresno State 7-foot NBA prospect Orlando Robinson on Friday night in the championship game of The Basketball Classic at the HTC Center in Conway, SC.

USC men’s basketball roster moves

Additions

Troy Boynton (April 16) — Evansville

Hayden Brown (April 23) — The Citadel

Meechie Johnson (April 25) — Ohio State

Ebrima Dibba (April 27) — Coastal Carolina

Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk (May 11) — Illinois

Transfers out (listed with new college where applicable)

Brandon Martin (April 27)

Keyshawn Bryant (April 22)

Mike Green (March 28)

Devin Carter (March 28) — Providence

Wildens Leveque (March 27) — Massachusetts

Ta’Quan Woodley (March 26) — Massachusetts

Jermaine Couisnard (March 25) — Oregon

Erik Stevenson (March 24) — West Virginia