Seton Hall basketball adds Illinois State transfer Abdou Ndiaye
The Seton Hall basketball roster appears to be complete for 2022-23. As expected, the Pirates have added another big. Illinois State transfer Abdou Ndiaye announced his arrival Monday.
Here are three things to know about the 6-foot-9, 200-pound Ndiaye, who graduated college and has two years of eligibility left:
1. He blocks shots at a pretty good rate.
As a sophomore in 2020-21 he ranked second in the Missouri Valley Conference at 1.4 blocks per game, doing so while averaging just 14 minutes. That was Ndiaye’s best season; he also averaged 3.8 points and 2.7 boards while shooting 53 percent from the field.
2. He hails from Senegal.
Ndiaye came to the U.S. in 2016 after coming up through Senegal’s SEED Academy (also known as SEED Project), which identifies talented players in that country. He arrived in Westchester and took part in the New Heights AAU program. Coming out of high school he was recruited by Wichita State, UNLV and Cincinnati, among others. It’s worth noting that two prized recruits in the class of 2023 who visited Seton Hall recently, 6-foot-10 Baye Fall and Assane Diop, hail from Senegal.
3. His wingspan is reportedly 7-foot-3.
On a Pirates squad that desperately needs size, he’ll provide depth insurance in the frontcourt and in practice. Obviously he projects behind KC Ndefo, Tyrese Samuel and Alexis Yetna in terms of playing time.
Seton Hall’s projected depth chart for 2022-23:
Guards (7): Kadary Richmond, Al-Amir Dawes, Jamir Harris, Femi Odukale, Dre Davis, Jaquan Sanders, JaQuan Harris.
Wings (2): Tray Jackson, Tae Davis.
Bigs (4): KC Ndefo, Tyrese Samuel, Alexis Yetna, Abdou Ndiaye.
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996 and the college basketball beat since 2003. He is an Associated Press Top 25 voter. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Seton Hall basketball adds Illinois State transfer Abdou Ndiaye
