UAB men’s basketball head coach Andy Kennedy announced on May 3 the addition of transfer center Matt Mbole from South Georgia Tech. Kennedy said, “Really excited to have Matt join our program. At 6’11 and 280 pounds, Matt brings a real presence to our frontcourt. Having just started basketball about four years ago, his growth in the game has been extraordinary and we know the best is yet to come. Matt was one of the leading rebounders and shot blockers in all of Junior College basketball last season which will put him in the position to make an immediate impact for the Blazers next season.”
Mbole, who stands at 6-foot-11 and hails from Yaounde, Cameroon, played last season at South Georgia Tech where he appeared in 30 games. He averaged 10 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game while achieving a double-double in 14 contests. His performance earned him GCAA First-Team All-Conference and All-Defensive Team honors.
During his time at South Georgia Tech, Mbole recorded a career-high of 19 points twice and collected as many as 19 rebounds on three occasions. He also registered five or more blocks five times during that period. As a freshman, he played in 26 games with a field goal percentage of over seventy-one percent.
Mbole began playing basketball only four years ago at Establis Enseigne Design prep school in Cameroon before moving into junior college competition.
He is now the ninth addition to UAB’s men’s basketball signing class for the upcoming season, joining other high school prospects Jakobi Sharp and Korie Corbett; junior college transfers Tim Holliday and Shah Hall; as well as Division I transfers Jeremy Elyzee, Deuce Jones, Justyn Fernandez, and TJ Caldwell.
