West Virginia University men’s basketball coach Ross Hodge announced on Apr. 20 the signing of Mouhamed “Mo” Sylla to a grant-in-aid, adding him to the Mountaineers’ roster for the 2026-27 season.
Sylla is a sophomore from Louga, Senegal, standing at 6-foot-10 and weighing 240 pounds. He transfers from Georgia Tech, where he played last season before an injury sidelined him for much of the year.
“Mo brings the combination of size, strength and athleticism that can anchor our team on both ends of the floor,” Hodge said. “He has tremendous defensive versatility and has great character and work ethic.”
During his time at Georgia Tech, Sylla appeared in 16 games with 15 starts, averaging 9.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game before missing most of the latter part of the season due to injury. He recorded double-digit points in ten games and achieved five double-doubles.
Sylla began his college career with three consecutive double-doubles—a feat accomplished by only two other Atlantic Coast Conference players in three decades: Chris Bosh (Georgia Tech) and Kyle Filipowski (Duke). In his debut against UMES, he scored 14 points with a freshman-record-setting 15 rebounds for Georgia Tech.
Before college, Sylla attended Bella Vista Prep in Phoenix, Arizona. He was ranked No.18 nationally and No.2 center by one recruiting service and No.14 overall as well as top center by another source. He is also affiliated with NBA Academy Africa, SEED Academy in Senegal, and was nominated for the McDonald’s All-American Game in 2025.
The addition of Sylla provides West Virginia’s basketball program with a player known for both his skills on court and strong character off it.
