Eastern Michigan Athletics
Mbaye N’Diaye Added to EMU Men’s Hoops Roster
9/3/2024 3:10:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Eagles add 6-foot-5 point guard from SEED Academy and Thies, Senegal
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Eastern Michigan University men's basketball has signed an incoming freshman Mbaye N'Diaye ahead of the 2024-25 season, Head Coach Stan Heath announced Tuesday, Sept. 3.
N'Diaye (Thies, Senegal/SEED Academy), a 6-foot-5 point guard, is a product of SEED Academy, which was launched in 2002 and was the first basketball student-athlete academy in Africa. While at SEED Academy, N'Diaye trained under Head Coach Samba Fall, who has coached numerous student-athletes who have gone on to play college basketball in the US. SEED Academy has produced 58 US college basketball student-athletes, six NBA or NBDL players, and 31 professional basketball players over 16 different countries.
"I think we've got a sleeper with Mbaye as he could really be a surprise guy for us," Heath said. "He's 6'5 and can play both guard positions. He's got a lot of athleticism and toughness. Mbaye has a great background as his father was a high-level Senegalese player and his uncle played at Michigan and North Carolina. We're excited and feel like with his youth, it gives us a bright future."
In January 2017, SEED Academy partnered with the NBA to launch the NBA Africa Academy, which is run by Roland Houston. In 2024, N'Diaye was selected from SEED Academy to the NBA Academy showcase, participating on Team Africa Blue with games against other NBA Academy teams in Atlanta, Ga., from July 10-14, N'Diaye's first-ever trip to the United States.
N'Diaye has seen action on the international stage, playing for Senegal's U18 National Team in the 2022 World Cup, as well as the 2022 African Championships. In the World Cup, N'Diaye averaged 8.3 points per game while bringing in 5.0 rebounds per game.
N'Diaye's father, Assane, had an extensive basketball career, which included a trip to the 1998 FIBA World Cup. N'Diaye's uncle, Makhtar, played at the University of Michigan from 1993-95 and at the University of the North Carolina from 1996-98 and is the first Senegalese player to play in the NBA.
N'Diaye has been added to the list of newcomers for the Eagles, which includes Dillon Tingler (Huntington, W. Va./Huntington Expression Prep), Christian Henry (Chicago, Ill./The Skill Factory (Atlanta, Ga.)/Panola College), Jalen Terry (Flint, Mich./Beecher/Oregon/DePaul),Da'Sean Nelson (Toledo, Ohio/Robert S. Rogers/Kilgore College/DePaul) , Godslove Nwabude (Lanham, Md./Mt. Zion Prep), Trey Pettigrew (Chicago, Ill./Kenwood Academy/Nevada/Bradley/Salt Lake C.C.), Julian Lewis (Ypsilanti, Mich./Ann Arbor Huron/William & Mary/Miami), and John Shanu II (Houston, Texas/Sam Houston/Old Dominion/Florida State College at Jacksonville/UTRGV), Mario Brunetto (La Spezia, Italy/Classical Gymnasium), and Cooper Smith (Ann Arbor, Mich./Catholic Prep/Michigan).
N'Diaye, Brunetto, Tingler, and Nwabude round out EMU's 2024 freshmen class.
See more on Tingler here, on Henry here, on Terry and Nelson here, on Nwabude here, on Pettigrew, Shanu II, and Lewis here, on Brunetto here, and on Smith here.
The Eagles now have players from three continents on the 2024-25 roster, joining Slovenia's Osojnik and Italy's Brunetto as international student-athletes for EMU.
EMU fans can see the exciting Eagle newcomers and the 2024-25 squad at the George Gervin GameAbove Center. To seize your opportunity to be part of the action, simply visit the EMU Ticket Office online or reach out via phone at 734.487.3669. Don't miss your chance to be a part of Eastern Michigan University's basketball legacy! SHOW ME MORE
Follow Us
For the most up-to-date information on the Eagles, visit EMUEagles.com. Fans can also follow the team on social media, including Twitter (@EMU_MBB) and Instagram (@EMUMBB).
N'Diaye (Thies, Senegal/SEED Academy), a 6-foot-5 point guard, is a product of SEED Academy, which was launched in 2002 and was the first basketball student-athlete academy in Africa. While at SEED Academy, N'Diaye trained under Head Coach Samba Fall, who has coached numerous student-athletes who have gone on to play college basketball in the US. SEED Academy has produced 58 US college basketball student-athletes, six NBA or NBDL players, and 31 professional basketball players over 16 different countries.
"I think we've got a sleeper with Mbaye as he could really be a surprise guy for us," Heath said. "He's 6'5 and can play both guard positions. He's got a lot of athleticism and toughness. Mbaye has a great background as his father was a high-level Senegalese player and his uncle played at Michigan and North Carolina. We're excited and feel like with his youth, it gives us a bright future."
In January 2017, SEED Academy partnered with the NBA to launch the NBA Africa Academy, which is run by Roland Houston. In 2024, N'Diaye was selected from SEED Academy to the NBA Academy showcase, participating on Team Africa Blue with games against other NBA Academy teams in Atlanta, Ga., from July 10-14, N'Diaye's first-ever trip to the United States.
N'Diaye has seen action on the international stage, playing for Senegal's U18 National Team in the 2022 World Cup, as well as the 2022 African Championships. In the World Cup, N'Diaye averaged 8.3 points per game while bringing in 5.0 rebounds per game.
N'Diaye's father, Assane, had an extensive basketball career, which included a trip to the 1998 FIBA World Cup. N'Diaye's uncle, Makhtar, played at the University of Michigan from 1993-95 and at the University of the North Carolina from 1996-98 and is the first Senegalese player to play in the NBA.
N'Diaye has been added to the list of newcomers for the Eagles, which includes Dillon Tingler (Huntington, W. Va./Huntington Expression Prep), Christian Henry (Chicago, Ill./The Skill Factory (Atlanta, Ga.)/Panola College), Jalen Terry (Flint, Mich./Beecher/Oregon/DePaul),
N'Diaye, Brunetto, Tingler, and Nwabude round out EMU's 2024 freshmen class.
See more on Tingler here, on Henry here, on Terry and Nelson here, on Nwabude here, on Pettigrew, Shanu II, and Lewis here, on Brunetto here, and on Smith here.
The Eagles now have players from three continents on the 2024-25 roster, joining Slovenia's Osojnik and Italy's Brunetto as international student-athletes for EMU.
EMU fans can see the exciting Eagle newcomers and the 2024-25 squad at the George Gervin GameAbove Center. To seize your opportunity to be part of the action, simply visit the EMU Ticket Office online or reach out via phone at 734.487.3669. Don't miss your chance to be a part of Eastern Michigan University's basketball legacy! SHOW ME MORE
Follow Us
For the most up-to-date information on the Eagles, visit EMUEagles.com. Fans can also follow the team on social media, including Twitter (@EMU_MBB) and Instagram (@EMUMBB).
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