Ladji Dembele
Ladji Dembele at Wazzu is a file of 3 stories. The newest of them: “WSU dips back into Australia for a 6-7 wing named Stathis”, “Riley's mystery big man is 6-10 and French, welcome Mohamed Sankhe”, and “Another big body joins the Cougs as Ladji Dembele signs on”. The Cougs are going back to the well Down Under. David Riley has been hinting at a mystery big man for months. The unofficial read for people who left Pullman and stayed Cougs. The list below is every Ladji Dembele story on Wazzu, newest first.
WSU dips back into Australia for a 6-7 wing named Stathis
The Cougs are going back to the well Down Under. Washington State signed Roman Stathis, a 6-7 wing from Sydney, Australia, making him the tenth addition to a roster that barely resembles last year's team. Stathis spent last season at Golden State Prep in Napa, and the scouting report is pretty straightforward: he can knock down catch-and-shoot threes and attack closeouts. That's about all we know, which is fine. Sometimes you trust the tape and the pipeline. David Riley has been clear that this roster has more talent walking in than walking out, and if you've been paying attention, that's a bet worth taking. Stathis might redshirt his first season, given the depth Riley has stacked up. The Cougs now have 12 players locked in, with one more expected next week. That's a lot of new faces, but it beats the alternative of watching half the roster hit the portal every spring. For a deeper look at how Riley is shaping this squad, check out our story on what he said about next year's talent level. It fits right alongside the news that the Cougs will also face Duke in Palm Springs this November. That's a November to circle. For now, we've got an Australian who can shoot, a coach who can recruit, and a roster that might actually surprise some people. Go Cougs.
Riley's mystery big man is 6-10 and French, welcome Mohamed Sankhe
David Riley has been hinting at a mystery big man for months. Turns out he's 6-foot-10, French, and his name is Mohamed Sankhe. Welcome to Pullman. Sankhe announced his signing Thursday, and he's the final piece of Riley's 2026-27 roster. Born in Senegal, he most recently played in France's Pro B league, where he put up 5.3 points and 5.5 boards in 18 minutes a game. That 54% shooting from the field? Efficient. This summer at the U20 Euro Championships, he bumped those numbers to 10 points and 6.8 rebounds, shooting 56% and leading France to the semifinals. He dropped a double-double on Croatia: 18 and 11. He went for 11 and nine against Germany. Now, the question. Can he protect the rim? Last season he averaged 0.4 blocks per game. That's guard territory for a guy his size. He did have three games with two blocks, and he was only playing 18 minutes, so maybe there's more there. What he does bring is size the Cougs desperately needed last year. They got bullied by big post players. Sankhe collected four double-digit rebound games last season, including a 13-board night. He's a true post player too, didn't attempt a single three in 41 games. That's a departure from Riley's typical stretch big, but Ladji Dembele can handle that role. Sankhe is the 13th newcomer on this roster. If you want the full nonconference schedule, check out our story on the Cougs and Redhawks at Climate Pledge. Go Cougs.
Another big body joins the Cougs as Ladji Dembele signs on
Ladji Dembele is a 6-foot-8, 255-pound forward who played five games for UNLV last year because of an injury. He's now a Coug. That makes eight offseason commitments for David Riley, and this one looks like the first true big man in the group. Dembele spent two years at Iowa before that, starting 21 games his second season, and he played for Mali's U-19 team at the 2021 World Cup. He's from Newark, originally, by way of Mali and Spain. The guy has been around. What matters here is what Riley is building. The Cougs lost 12 players, including 10 to the transfer portal. Ace Glass is at Vanderbilt. Eemeli Yalaho is headed to NC State. ND Okafor to Ole Miss. That's a lot of turnover. But Riley keeps signing bodies. Tyler Kropp is listed at 6-9 but has a thinner frame, so Dembele gives them the center they needed. That matters when you're starting almost from scratch. We wrote the other day about Jamari Phillips coming in from Oregon, and about Riley saying this roster has more talent walking in than last year's. That quote ages well with each signing. Dembele isn't a star on paper, 5.2 points at UNLV, 4.5 at Iowa, but he's a veteran who has played Power 4 minutes and knows what a real frontcourt looks like. For a team that returns two players, that kind of experience is worth more than the stat line. Go Cougs.