BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Ole Miss’ Malik Dia started his collegiate basketball career at Vanderbilt. He didn’t see the floor much in his freshman season, so he moved just down the Nashville road to Belmont.
There, he exploded.
Alongside a strong lineup that included future power-conference transfers Ja’Kobi Gillespie (Maryland, Tennessee) and Cade Tyson (North Carolina, Minnesota), Dia proved himself to be among the Missouri Valley Conference’s best players. He averaged 16.9 points and 5.8 rebounds for the Bruins in his sophomore season.
“I hope [Belmont coach] Casey Alexander sees this. I really appreciate him as a coach,” Dia said at SEC Media Days on Tuesday.