Ex-Iowa Starter Ladji Dembele Commits to Washington State

Washington State has made it clear this offseason: the roster rebuild will run through the transfer portal.

The latest addition, Ladji Dembele, fits that approach perfectly—a player with Power Five experience who brings both size and a developing skill set to a Cougars roster still taking shape.

Dembele began his college career at Iowa, where he carved out a consistent role in the frontcourt before transferring to UNLV for his junior season. While his time in Las Vegas was limited to just five games due to injury, he still managed to average 5.2 points and 4.2 rebounds in roughly 20 minutes per game. That small sample size makes it difficult to fully evaluate his impact there, but it does offer a glimpse into a player who remained productive in limited opportunities. Dembele got a medical redshirt from last season and will have two years of eligibility remaining.