Will Wade and the VCU Basketball program got great news today as 6’9″, 245 pound PF Ahmed Hamdy Mohamed committed to the VCU Rams while on a visit to campus today.

The JUCO forward out of Lee College (TX) averaged 16.2 ppg and 10.7 rpg while shooting 54.5% from the field last season and will be immediately eligible. He will bring serious size and rebounding in the post and is expected to be an immediate front court contributor for the Rams. Mohamed will have 2 years of eligibility at VCU with a possibility of a 3rd if a NCAA waiver goes through due to redshirting at Houston.

The former Cougar’s calling card is an elite-level rebounding ability to go with a big-time motor. His skill-set fits in perfectly with the system Coach Wade is trying to implement at VCU and will especially be a great help to Mo Alie-Cox in the frontcourt.

Ahmed signed with Houston out of high school and red-shirted a year before transferring to Lee College this past season. He also played for his native Egypt on the international stage at the U17 World Championships as a high school prospect.

Mohamed picked VCU over Wichita State and Washington State at the end, but had serious interest from Tulsa while Missouri tried to get him on campus late in the process as well.

With Mo Alie-Cox as an established A-10 big man and promising young talents like Justin Tillman and Michael Gilmore on the wings, the addition of Ahmed Mohamed gives VCU one thing the program has lacked in the past: front court options. Having a rebounding presence inside will free up Alie-Cox to be a more effective weak-side shot blocker and will allow him to share in the dirty work of setting picks and screens as well as boxing and blocking out for other players.

Along with the addition of Oral Roberts grad transfer Korey Billbury (14.4 ppg, 7.4 rpg) and HS prospect Gerron Scissum, Will Wade has done a very good job of filling needs with very good players late in the process. It remains to be seen how all the pieces fit together, but it’s hard not to be excited by this addition if you’re a VCU fan.

Join me in welcoming Ahmed Hamdy Mohamed as the newest member of the VCU Rams!

LET’S GO VCU!