Can Villanova Forward Abdou Samb Get Back on Track? | Meet the Wildcats

This is one in a series of stories previewing each member of the 2026-27 Villanova Men’s Basketball roster.

Abdou Samb transferred to Villanova for his final season of college basketball after stops at Rhode Island (2021-23), the now-defunct IUPUI (2023-2024) and Towson (2024-26), missing almost all of last season with the Tigers due to an Achilles tendon injury. The 6-foot-8 forward played significant minutes as a reserve with the Rams during his redshirt freshman season, averaging 3.6 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.7 fouls across 17.6 minutes per game.

His playing time ticked up upon transferring from the A-10 to the Horizon League, but Samb wasn’t able to continue his upward trajectory after the move to Towson, dropping out of the regular starting lineup and averaging just eight minutes per game during the 2024-25 season. Now Samb will try to get his feet back under him during his last Division I season: having talented big men like Kwame Evans Jr. and Luigi Suigo around him will certainly help, as will the presence of athletic wings like Devin Royal. 

Through three preseason games at Villanova, Samb played 15 minutes, notching two offensive rebounds and a perfect 2-for-2 clip at the free throw line. With scarce playing time at Towson and a lack of national television slots at IUPUI, the best film of Samb’s play came while with the Rams four years ago. His declining playing time and recovery from an Achilles’ tendon repair are both major concerns, but Samb should still get some playing time as the rest of Villanova’s big men rotate in and out of the game.