4 early-offseason portal targets Texas has contacted

Malik Dia, F

The two-time sophomore transfer forward Malik Dia is looking for a new home after earning All-MVC honors with the Belmont Bruins during the 2023-24 season.

The 6-foot-9 and 240-pound Murfreesboro, TN, native Dia spent one season with the Vanderbilt Commodores during his true freshman campaign before leaving for Belmont via the portal last offseason. He'll now be looking for his third home in as many years after breaking onto the scene as one of the best scoring power forwards in the mid-major conferences last season.

Dia, the No. 3 power forward transfer in the 247Sports Composite, was a real force for the Bruins last season, averaging 17 points per game and six rebounds.

Dia's combination of size, rebounding, and scoring ability from inside the arc will always be highly sought after for the top major conference programs in college hoops. And he's still got plenty of upside that a program like Texas could tap into, especially on the defensive end of the floor.

I like the potential for Dia's fit at the four either coming off the bench as one of the top reserves or at the four in the starting lineup next to Shedrick at the five. Dia and Shedrick boast complimentary skill sets, which would hypothetically give the Longhorns plenty of size, physicality, and offense in the starting frontcourt.

Some of the other schools that have contacted Dia are the UConn Huskies, Villanova Wildcats, Wake Forest Demon Deacons, Virginia, Indiana, USC Torjans, and Wisconsin Badgers, among many others.