Led by Ali Koroma of Sierra Leone, Cal Poly basketball enters tournament on a win streak
In the second half of last week’s Cal Poly basketball game, the best of Alimamy “Ali” Koroma’s college career, a Mustangs’ crowd started chanting “Ali, Ali, Ali.”
Koroma, who grew up in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Africa, said it’s “surreal” to hear the crowd of more than 1,800 fans at a U.S. college arena chanting his name.
“That is just a dream come true,” said Koroma. “You never think of stuff like that, of coming to the U.S. to Division 1 basketball and the people in the stands chanting your name.”
On Thursday, he poured in a career-high 27 points en route to a 65-54 win over UC Irvine that ended an eight-game losing streak for the Mustangs (7-20, 3-12 Big West).
Two nights later, the Mustangs beat UC San Diego 80-76 for their second conference victory in a row to end the season (Cal Poly also beat UC San Diego 59-55 on Jan. 27). In that contest, Brantly Stevenson and Kobe Sanders each scored 17 points to lead Cal Poly; Camren Pierce added 12 points and 11 assists.
Koroma, the 6-foot-8 junior forward with a 7-foot-2 wingspan, is one of very few people from his country to ever play NCAA basketball in the U.S.
The next step in the forward’s journey will be to try to lead Cal Poly to a victory in the Big West tournament on Tuesday. Cal Poly, the No. 10 seed, plays No. 7 UC Davis at 8:30 p.m. at the Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada.
“We’re ready for it,” Koroma said. “We’re excited for it. I feel like we could compete with anyone on any given day. We’re ready for whatever. I’m excited, and this is a long time coming.”
The game will be televised on ESPN+.
Koroma becomes team leader
Koroma has taken on the role of team leader and helped motivate his team through a losing season. The squad had come close to winning in multiple games, indicating the young team is on the verge of more success.
“We needed to get this (win),” Koroma said of Thursday’s victory. “We had to get over the questioning and doubting and everything, and we beat one of the best teams in the conference (in UC Irvine).”
Cal Poly Coach John Smith said that Koroma “without a doubt” has become a team leader and the team often thrives off of his energy.
“When his motor is low, our motor is low, so every time we stepped on the floor, the main thing I talked to him about is, ‘Hey, I don’t hear your voice. If I hear your voice, we’re going to be alright,’” Smith said. “Even through our eight-game losing streak, his voice has been the loudest.”
Smith, who has coached for 30 years, and Koroma ranks among the better players he has ever led on and off the court.
“From a character standpoint, he’s just been rock solid,” Smith said. “And you know, what he’s overcome, the sky’s the limit for him. He’s going to take over the world once he’s done.”
Koroma currently leads Cal Poly with 13.7 points per game, 5.6 rebounds per game, and 24 blocks (averaging just under a block per contest). He also is the team leader in overall field goal percentage at 50.7%.
Cal Poly gets big home win
In beating UC Irvine, the Mustangs nailed 17 of 17 free throws, tying a school record of being perfect from the line.
The Mustangs previously had an 11-for-11 mark against the College of Charleston at the Great Alaska Shootout on Nov. 22, 2017.
The win in front of a home crowd of 1,868 was a welcome treat for the fans after a tough season with several close losses and an inability to win close games.
“I’m happy for these guys because they’re young, and now they’re learning how to win games late, and that’s what it was about,” Smith said.
Smith said he broke down film with the players of earlier games in which the team got away from its strengths in the last few minutes. The lost to CSU Northridge 83-78 in double overtime on Feb. 10, then dropped a 69-64 matchup against UC Santa Barbara two days later, and fell to CSU Bakersfield 61-60 on Feb. 22.
“In previous games, we got outside of ourselves from a principle standpoint, defensively, and then we get sped up offensively and tonight we had none of that down the stretch,” Smith said after Thursday’s win. “And that’s a choice. They’re learning how to respond.”
Freshman guard Julien Franklin matched his career scoring high against UC Irvine with 11 points for Cal Poly, which never trailed.
Koroma said the win felt “absolutely amazing” to break the streak heading into the postseason.
“This is what we needed,” he said.
Mission Prep grad returns to court
Mission Prep graduate Kyle Colvin, a 6-foot-6 forward, who has been battling hip injuries throughout the season, played 16 minutes in Thursday’s win and 10 minutes on Saturday, adding five points and a rebound against the Titans.
Colvin had two points on a tip-in bucket and his defense helped keep in check UC Irvine’s top scorer, Colin Welp, who was limited to 12 points. Welp averages 14 on the season but never got into much of a rhythm.
“I’ve been able to find different ways to help out this team, and it’s been a blessing to be able to play here,” Colvin said. “My hip has some issues, but I’m trying to stay on top of that and just provide any way I can help, whether that’s shooting, playing defense, or any other aspect of the game.”
Colvin, a sophomore who redshirted in 2019-20, has grown two inches since his freshman year and said the game is starting to feel more natural to him.
“It was super fast early on, but I redshirted a year and I got to play a year before I had surgery,” Colvin said. “And it’s really slowed down this year, which is one of the biggest differences from the first two years to now.”
Smith said Colvin had earned his spot and showed tenacity.
“He’s just a tough kid and he’s going to give us his all to this team,” Smith said. “That’s why I rewarded him with a scholarship after my first year because he epitomizes the right things.”
This story was originally published March 7, 2022 at 1:56 PM with the headline "Led by Ali Koroma of Sierra Leone, Cal Poly basketball enters tournament on a win streak."
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