Following an excruciatingly quiet recruiting week, Kentucky made a surprise comeback. Mark Pope turned behind the scenes to the international front for frontcourt assistance as news about forward Justin McBride came to a total standstill.
Welcome to Lexington, BBN. The giant has formally committed to Kentucky, according to KSR!
Above all, N’Diaye will complement the (anticipated to return) Malachi Moreno down low by adding much-needed balance to Kentucky’s present squad composition (a win is a win at this time). He should fit right in with Pope’s offensive scheme because he is a stretch big who can score on several different levels.
The now-Cat averaged 10 points and over seven rebounds per game when playing for Vanoli Cremona in the LBA. The big man is intriguing on both sides of the court, but the Kentucky staff was probably most drawn to him because of his guard-like dribbling and movement skills.
This arrival should help Coach Pope’s system in Lexington return to the efficiency it had before this past season, given his long-standing penchant to run his offense via bigs (N’Diaye, at six-foot-11, is an especially attractive pick).
What’s more? N’Diaye shot little over 32% from distance on an average of five shots each game. Sure, it’s not ridiculous, but for a huge man who can shoot over a defender as easily as he can blow past them?
It completely alters the Cats’ perspective, particularly with regard to offense. Additionally, the big caught almost one steal per game, indicating a well-rounded professional game that should translate easily to the collegiate level.
Transitioning to College Basketball
International players can succeed or fail when they enter the NCAA, but when they are at their best, talent via that route can nearly fully account for a team like Illinois’s Final Four appearance.
With this recruiting victory, Kentucky is obviously counting on that, and regardless of how you look at it, it’s good for the BBN to be able to enjoy a victory during a week full of anxiety and scandal.
Pope is getting back on track with his third-year roster. Even though they are still developing, it would be difficult to find a forward with greater potential to fit into the frontcourt as it is right now.
