Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina's 2025-26 men's basketball season preview continues with a look at the forward position, as a pair of new faces join a returning senior looking to lead the group this season.
Senior Vernon Collins, who's in his second season with the Purple & Gold after transferring in from Princeton before the 2024-25 season, looks to step back into a leadership role this season. WCU also welcomes a pair of new faces in sophomore transfer Abdulai Fanta Kabba (University of Denver) and freshman Samuel Dada (Lagos, Nigeria).
In his debut campaign with the Catamounts, Collins appeared in all 30 games, making 24 starts, including all but two in SoCon play. The Chocowinity, N.C. native put together a strong season from the floor, shooting 51% of his attempts on 53-of-104 shooting. He scored a season-high 12 points against Queens, while adding 11 points against Wofford and an additional pair of 10-point performances.
Collins finished third on the team with 150 rebounds, averaging 5.0 boards per game with a career-high 13 rebounds against mountain-rival ETSU. He led the Catamounts in the 2024-25 season with 64 offensive rebounds and had at least 16 contests with at least five rebounds. Collins put together a strong season on the block with 23 rejections, one of three WCU players with more than 20 swats.
Collins is joined by a pair of big men who look to help make an immediate impact for the Catamounts as sophomore Abdulai Fanta Kabba joins WCU from the University of Denver, and Samuel Dada joins the fray from Lagos, Nigeria.
Fanta Kabba comes to Cullowhee after spending the past season at the University of Denver. Missing the entire nonconference portion of the schedule, Fanta Kabba made an impact in the final 17 games with 16 starts a year ago, averaging 4.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. He led the squad with 21 blocked shots and tallied 11 steals with nine assists in his on-court performance. Against Oral Roberts, Fanta Kabba tallied the game-winning dunk with 1.1 seconds left to break a 68-68 tie. He led the Summit League in block and defensive rebound percentages during his freshman season.
Dada joins the Catamounts after spending his prep career at both North Kansas City High and the Link Academy. During his 2023-24 stint at North Kansas City, he averaged 11.4 points, 11.2 rebounds, and three assists per game. The Lagos, Nigeria native added 33 blocks and 26 steals during the 2023-24 campaign as a solid rim protector and defender.
Western Carolina opens the season on Wednesday (Oct. 29) with a home exhibition against Brevard. Admission to Ingles Court at the Ramsey Center is free, with live streaming audio from the Catamount Sports Network available online at CatamountSports.com. The Catamounts open the regular season with a road bout at Big 12 foe Cincinnati on Nov. 3, before traveling in-state to Duke on Nov. 8. WCU opens its home slate on Nov. 13 against Voorhees University out of Denmark, S.C.
Season tickets for the home portion of the 2025-26 Catamount men's and women's basketball seasons are on sale now through the first-floor Ramsey Center Ticket Office, by phone at (828) 227-2401, and online at CatamountSports.com/BuyTickets. Options include tickets for men's or women's and an "all-hoops" package for every home game in the Ramsey Center for both squads. Single-game tickets for both squads are also on sale.
Keep track of everything related to Catamount men's basketball and WCU Athletics through our social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports), Instagram (@catamountmbb @wcu_catamounts), and Twitter (@CatamountMBB @catamounts).
