UCF adds South Carolina transfer
Ibrahim Famouke Doumbia, a 6-foot-6 transfer from South Carolina, committed to Johnny Dawkins and UCF on Thursday.
The former Miami Country Day star had a prior relationship with the staff as he was one of the Knights' top targets in the Class of 2017 before he ultimately signed with the Gamecocks. Florida, Baylor, TCU and Tennessee were among his other offers out of high school.
South Carolina turned out to be a bad fit for the Mali native and he played sparingly as a freshman, averaging a little over three minutes in 12 games played. He declared his intent to transfer following the season.
Doumbia, who possesses what's been described as "freakish athleticism," dominated his senior season at Miami Country Day averaging 27 points, 19 rebounds and four blocks per game.
Shortly after his initial commitment in September 2016, Rivals.com South Carolina affiliate GamecockCentral.com caught up with Doumbia's high school head coach, Hugo DeLaRosa.
"When he showed up (as a high school junior), he was a power dunker, shot blocker, freakish athlete," DeLaRosa said. "You had size and the body of a collegiate wing. We worked very hard and put a belief system in him that we're going to develop you into a wing. We put a ton of hours into the gym and into his game. He's turned into that collegiate wing now.
"(As a high school junior) he shot the ball very well from the three-point line. He played the perimeter. His defense of course needs to be polished up on the perimeter but he's long enough. He covers a lot of ground and his lateral movements have improved tremendously."
Doumbia still generated a good amount of recruiting interest even though he didn't play on the AAU circuit in the summer before his senior year. Instead, he represented Mali in the FIBA Africa U-18 Championships.
"He's very humble, work ethic high," DeLaRosa said. "He’s the eldest in his family so he carries the responsibility on the daily basis that he has to be an example for his siblings. He's the first to come from his family to this country. He's tackled that as a student and as an athlete. Miami Country Day is a high academic school. It's not a basketball factory, not a sports factory. It's a student factory. At the collegiate level, he's going to be very well prepared for the classroom."
Doumbia speaks four languages (French, Bambara, Malinké, English) and will likely major in business at UCF.
His cousin is NBA player Cheick Diallo, who is in his second season with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Doumbia will sit out the upcoming season due to NCAA transfer rules and will have three years of eligibility beginning in the 2019-20 season.
Earlier this week, UCF landed a commitment from junior college sharpshooter Frank Bertz.