Arizona big man Oumar Ballo enters the transfer portal

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TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Arizona center Oumar Ballo entered the transfer portal on Monday, leaving coach Tommy Lloyd with a huge hole to fill.

“I would like to thank my coaches, teammates, friends and family for their ongoing support to make me the best player and person I can be,” Ballo wrote on X. “I especially would like to thank coach Lloyd for the impact he has had on my life -- Arizona is in great hands. With that being said, I have decided to enter the transfer portal as a graduate student for my final year of eligibility.”

Ballo, who's from Mali, started his career at Gonzaga under coach Mark Few and Lloyd, then an assistant.

The 7-foot center followed Lloyd when he became Arizona's head coach in 2021 and became one of the nation's most improved players. Ballo averaged 12.9 points on 66% shooting and 10.1 rebounds on a team that went to the NCAA Tournament for the third straight year under Lloyd.

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