After a disappointing year in Provo, former BYU center and G-League dropout Abdullah Ahmed has transferred to UMass for his second year of college hoops.
Welcome to UMass, Abdullah 🙌
— UMass Men's Basketball (@UMassMBB) May 1, 2026
Ahmed comes to Amherst from BYU out of the Big 12 where he appeared in 20 games last season, including one start, while averaging 1.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. Prior to BYU, he appeared in 54 games over multiple seasons for the… pic.twitter.com/OBmFCLDNW4
I'm not going to sugar-coat it: Abdullah's year under Kevin Young was a complete disaster from start to finish.
Touted as an elite rim protector and defensive force, Abdullah tallied 25 blocks on the year. Not bad for a backup big (not particularly great, either), but that number shrivels up when compared to his foul total on the season: 35.
Non-existent production at the offensive end, and a stronger affinity for hacking than defending, the player who arrived in Provo as some of the most impressive depth in college, was clearly out of his depth on the court.
It was frustrating to watch, and his poor perfomance plastered his shorts to the end of the bench down the stretch, even as Kevin Young's depth shallowed out with injuries. Learning he would transfer
But struggling on the basketball court doesn't warrant the type of treatment Ahmed received from fans who felt as if they had been short-changed by a player aspiring to reach the NBA. Players like Ahmed, who step down from a professional level to hopefully elevate against college competition, enter the collegiate ranks with immense expectations.
As we learned from this year at BYU, players like Ahmed are given a much shorter leash than typical first-year hoopers.
Understandably so -- the G-League is a step up from college basketball, and anyone who says different is getting too caught up in the NIL movement -- but all the same, I doubt Ahmed will hold the BYU fanbase close to his identity years down the road.
Just take a quick scroll through the comment section of his transfer announcement, and you'll learn exactly how BYU fans feel about this former player.
NEWS: BYU center Abdullah Ahmed plans to enter the @TransferPortal, he told @On3.
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) April 12, 2026
The 6-10 sophomore previously played in the G League.https://t.co/P2CLLLO2iq pic.twitter.com/ISigH9G80J
"He's so bad, glad he's leaving."
"I used to pray for times like this."
"I hope he plays for the Utes."
Contrast that with players who succeeded at BYU and have moved forward to be great in the NBA -- take Egor Demin and soon AJ Dybantsa -- and the difference should be sobering.
Look, I don't mean to get preachy, and I certainly won't pretend that I've been a glowing beacon of kind words and warm hugs, but now that Ahmed is officially gone, it's time to reassess and reevalutate how we talk about players who committed a year of their life to our favorite basketball team.
No off-court scandals. No attitude issues. No problems whatsoever outside of disappointing play.
You don't have to pretend to be sad he's leaving. I, for one, don't expect Kevin Young to struggle with finding an upgrade. But a proper send-off led with respect should be the BYU way. Don't leave on bad terms.
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