Unlike the first three of the five new additions to the University of Dayton roster for 2024-25, the last two hoopsters came out of virtually nowhere to land in the Gem City. Hamad Mousa committed to the Flyers without so much as an official visit or any of the normal pre-announcement hype. The fact that DaRon Holmes officially declared that he was indeed staying in the NBA Draft on the very same day that Mousa told AG that he wanted to be a Flyer was hardly a coincidence. In the brave new world of NIL recruiting, where the coaching staff deals with agents instead of HS or AAU coaches, UD was able to snag a guy who many project to be a one-and-done NBA draft choice. While the Flyer Faithful  may long for ‘the good old days’ of recruiting, it is clear that Coach Grant has a pretty good handle on how to navigate the ever-changing waters of pay-for-play college basketball.

Like many of you, “FTS” immediately hit the Googles to see what we could discover regarding the Qatari mystery man. Here is what we found:

Just as fellow international star and former Flyer Mongolian Mike had done, Mousa played for the World Team in the Nike Hoop Summit:

Qatar’s basketball player Hamad Musa selected in Nike Hoop Summit’s World Team | The Peninsula Qatar

Here is the World Team roster and measurements:

Mousa was interviewed as part of the festivities:

Hamad Mousa Interview | Nike Hoop Summit | 4.12.24 – YouTube

Jablo in The DDN had a good writeup on Hamad’s commitment:

Hamad Mousa described as ‘dynamic three-level scorer’ by NBA Global Academy coach (daytondailynews.com)

As well as this later piece on how the new look Flyers have looked:

Dayton basketball: Flyers think they ‘have a chance to do great things’ in 2024-25 season (daytondailynews.com)

Here is Hamad’s profile page from the UD Hoops website:

Hamad Mousa – Men’s Basketball – University of Dayton Athletics (daytonflyers.com)

NBA Draft guru Rafael Barlowe had this to say about the Qatar native:

IMO Hamad Mousa was the most impressive prospect at the Basketball Without Borders All-Star weekend in Indianapolis. Big upside as a sweet-shooting wing playmaker w/ the ability to follow in the footsteps of Dayton alums Obi Toppin, Toumani Camara, and DaRon Holmes to the NBA.

Highlights:

Hamad and his father Yaseen, who is a Qatar 3X3 legend:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIxZNRGvykY  

From the NBA Academy Games in Atlanta in 2023:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HOhXRhi3AA 

The 2024 Basketball Without Borders International Elite Global Games held during the NBA All-Star Weekend

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTiHOFQtmWQ 

League Him had this to say in a tweet about Mousa:

Dayton is home to one of the most intriguing freshmen in CBB, Hamad Mousa. Standing 6-8 with a 7-1 wingspan, the 🇶🇦 native is smooth, skilled and versatile with an impressive feel for the game. His two-way tools offer a promising foundation and significant long-term upside.

The tweet also included some tasty video of Hamad practicing in a Flyer uni:

https://x.com/League_Him/status/1836441882697601249?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1836441882697601249%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url 

And then there is this now famous 4-minute, 5X5 practice scrimmage video in which Mousa is a clear standout:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaWav2baqNA 

NBA Scouting Reports

“FTS” can’t recall an incoming Flyer freshman ever being projected as a draft-ready prospect, but Hamad Mousa is that guy.

NBA Mock Draft

NBA Mock Draft – NBADraft.net

NBA Draftpoint

https://x.com/draftpoint2024/status/1804668339341467690

Sports Illustrated

NBA Draft Scouting Report: Dayton’s Hamad Mousa (si.com)

Bottomline: “FTS” simply cannot wait to see #10 in a Flyer uniform.