Ole Miss lands commitment from Buffalo transfer forward Josh Mballa

Buffalo forward Josh Mballa will transfer to Ole Miss for the 2022-23 season, he announced Sunday via his Instagram account. Prior to entering the transfer portal, Mballa was a starter for the Bulls the past three seasons after previously transferring from Texas Tech in 2019.

After averaging a double-double in 2020-21 while also taking home the MAC Defensive Player of the Year award, Mballa once again led his team in rebounds (8.6 boards per game) this past season. He was also third in scoring (13 points per game) as Buffalo finished 19-11.

Mballa was born in Detroit, but moved to Bordeaux, France where he played for Kameet Academy while growing up. He eventually returned to the United States for high school, where he attended Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut. In 2018, he helped the team to a 38-4 record and their first-ever national championship. Despite that success, Mballa received offers only from Texas Tech and Massachusetts, opting to go with the Red Raiders.

Josh Mballa is the third transfer player for the Rebels, joining forward Jayveous McKinnis (Jackson State) and center Theo Akwuba (Louisiana). The Rebels also brought in the 33rd ranked high school class in the country according to On3’s Team Rankings. That includes two top 100 players in point guard Amaree Abram (No. 70) and center Malique Ewin (No. 91).

Ole Miss finished this past season with a 13-19 record, missing the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in the past seven years. Coach Kermit Davis is entering his fifth year at the helm with just one tournament appearance and a 64-61 record to show for it. With that being the case, Davis should enter next season on the hot seat.

The Rebels lost guard Jarkel Joiner and forward Luis Rodriguez to transfer also, which means the addition of Mballa will help fill a void for Ole Miss.