By Theo Lawson

The Spokesman-Review

Ahmed Ali, a point guard on the Washington State men’s basketball team who entered the transfer portal before electing to stick it out with the Cougars, has now left the program, a school official confirmed to The Spokesman-Review.

The Toronto native would’ve been a senior for first-year coach Kyle Smith’s program this season, after joining the Cougars under former coach Ernie Kent last season. Ali, a 5-foot-11, 165-pound guard, transferred to WSU from Eastern Florida State College last season and started in 24 of 32 games.

Ali averaged just 7.3 points per game and 1.8 rebounds, but he held one of the top assist-to-turnover ratios in the Pac-12, at 2.4. That number would’ve ranked third in the Pac-12 had Ali averaged at least three assists per game. The point guard was just shy, at 2.9 assists per game.

Ali and a number of teammates from last year’s squad entered the transfer portal after the program made a coaching change, firing Kent less than 24 hours after an opening-round loss to Oregon in the Pac-12 Tournament and bringing in Smith, who most recenly coached at the University of San Francisco.

Though he was an upperclassman with one year of Pac-12 experience and a handful of starts under his belt, Ali wasn’t projected to be in Smith’s starting five this season. The coach told The Spokesman-Review in the spring it would be difficult for anyone to beat out former Montana State guard Isaac Bonton, who Smith described as an “explosive scorer” and “playmaker.”

Along with Bonton, Ali would’ve likely competed with returning senior Jervae Robinson and incoming freshman Noah Williams for minutes at the point guard position.