Former BYU center Abdullah Ahmed finds new home through transfer portal
May 1, 2026, 10:29 AM
PROVO – Former BYU basketball center Abdullah Ahmed has found a new landing spot out of the NCAA transfer portal.
Ahmed has signed with the UMass Minutemen, who currently play in the Mid-American Conference (MAC).
Former BYU basketball center Abdullah Ahmed signs with UMass
UMass announced Ahmed’s signing on Friday. He has two years of eligibility remaining in his collegiate career.
Welcome to UMass, Abdullah 🙌
Ahmed comes to Amherst from BYU out of the Big 12 where he last season, he appeared in 20 games, including one start while averaging 1.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. Prior to BYU, he appeared in 54 games over multiple seasons for… pic.twitter.com/KcbxgNv1y7
— UMass Men's Basketball (@UMassMBB) May 1, 2026
“Abdullah, or Bido as we all know him, is an elite shot blocker who brings a true big man presence,” said UMass head coach Frank Martin. “His vast experience playing international basketball and G League will be great for our team. He is a true low-post player who will fit perfectly in how we use our big men.”
The 6-foot-10 big man joined BYU after the fall semester concluded in December. His addition at the time generated headlines, as he was coming to BYU after two seasons with the G League’s Westchester Knicks.
Ahmed appeared in 20 games for BYU, with one game as the starting center.
The native of Cairo, Egypt, goes by “Bido” because it was a childhood nickname that has stuck with him.
During Bido’s brief time at BYU, he showed the ability to be a shot blocker, recording 5 blocks in two separate games.
Ahmed finished with averages of 1.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game, while averaging 12 minutes per game.
Former BYU players in the 2026 transfer portal cycle
Ahmed was one of seven players with eligibility remaining on the BYU basketball team in 2026 to enter the transfer portal last month.
Out of those seven players, Ahmed is the fifth to find a new landing spot. Aleksej Kostic signed with Northwestern, KJ Perry committed to Fresno State, center Xavion Staton transferred to Oregon State, and Dominique Diomande signed with Pitt.
The only players who transferred that haven’t found new spots yet are Kennard Davis Jr. and Tyler Mrus. Davis declared for early entry into the NBA draft process, but he didn’t receive an invitation to the draft combine.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSL and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast daily on KSL Sports YouTube and KSL NewsRadio (SUBSCRIBE). Harper also co-hosts Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL NewsRadio.
Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU athletics in the Big 12 Conference on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram: @Mitch_Harper.
