Belmont forward Malik Dia enters NCAA transfer portal

Belmont forward Malik Dia has entered the NCAA transfer portal, On3’s Jamie Shaw reports.

Dia averaged 16.9 points per game for the Bruins this past season. He scored in double figures 30 times for Belmont during the 2023-24 season, including 12 instances of scoring 20 points or more.

The 6-foot-9 sophomore originally began his career at Vanderbilt. He was a three-star recruit out of high school, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. He was the No. 200 overall recruit and No. 5 player out of his home state of Tennessee.

Belmont finished the 2023-24 college basketball season with a 20-13 record, finishing fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference’s regular season standings. They were awarded a bye into the quarterfinal round of the MVC Tournament, where they fell to Northern Iowa 67-62. Dia was the Bruins’ second-leading scorer on the afternoon, scoring 14 points on 5 of 12 shooting despite playing just 24 minutes due to foul trouble.

His best performance came much earlier in the season, scoring 32 points during a 22-point win over Drake on Jan. 7. He made a season-high five 3-pointers and shot 10 of 16 overall.

During his time at Vanderbilt, Dia was not as productive. As a true freshman, he appeared in 20 games but never cracked former head coach Jerry Stackhouse’s starting lineup. He averaged 8.7 minutes per game while scoring 2.6 points and 1.1 rebounds per outing during his lone season in Nashville.

Now, the Murfreesboro, TN, native has put his name in the portal to look for his third college in three seasons. This time around, he should have a handful of suitors attracted to his services as he navigates this year’s cycle.

Vanderbilt forward Colin Smith planning to enter the transfer portal

Vanderbilt forward Colin Smith plans to enter the transfer portal, a source close to Smith told On3. The school recently parted ways with head coach Jerry Stackhouse. 

Smith, a 6-foot-8 sophomore from Dallas, averaged 7.1 points and 6.6 rebounds this season, appearing in only six games due to injury. 

According to the On3 Industry Ranking, Smith is a former four-star recruit and was the No. 120 overall player in the nation from the 2022 cycle. The On3 Industry Ranking is a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Read more from On3’s Joe Tipton here.