MEN’S BASKETBALL WRAPS UP 2009-10 SIGNING CLASS WITH 6-8 CENTER ALPHA N’DIAYE
5/11/2009
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Sacramento State men’s basketball program added its seventh player of the 2009-10 recruiting class Monday after signing Ohlone College center Alpha N’Diaye, it was announced today by Hornet head coach Brian Katz. N’Diaye will enroll at Sacramento State as a junior in the fall.
N’Diaye joins Fresno City College point guard Sultan Toles-Bey (signed May 1), Riverside Community College guard/forward David Norris (May 1), Highland Community College forward Duro Bjegovic (April 16), San Joaquin Delta College guard/forward Walter Jackson (April 16), Fairfield High School guard/forward John Dickson (April 15) and South Elgin High School center Dani Lopez (early signing period) as the seven players to sign with Sacramento State.
ALPHA N’DIAYE
N’Diaye, a 6-foot-8, 210-pound native of Bamako, Mali, moved to the United States and began playing organized basketball two years ago. He spent the past two seasons at Fremont’s Ohlone College where he helped lead the team to a combined 45-20 overall record and a 19-5 mark in the Coast Conference (North Division). The long and athletic N’Diaye, who has a 7-foot-1 wing span and will redshirt next season, was named honorable mention all-state and first team all-conference last season after averaging 8.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting 52.4 percent (120-229) from the field. Among conference leaders, he ranked second in blocks, fifth in rebounds and tied for eighth in field goal percentage.
Over the final 13 games last year, he averaged 10.8 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game, including a 14-point, 17-rebound performance in the state playoffs against Merritt College. He scored in double figures 12 times in his final 22 games, including 16 points, 10 rebounds and eight blocks against Gavilan College.
“We feel very fortunate to get a player of Alpha’s ability,” Katz said. “He has as much potential as any front-line player we saw all year, and has a chance to become a dominant player in the Big Sky Conference. He is a long and athletic shot blocker who is a good shooter and can put the ball on the floor. He has only played basketball for two years, but he is already extremely talented and skilled.”
As a freshman in 2006-07, N’Diaye averaged 5.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting 53.4 percent (63-118) from the field. Both seasons during N’Diaye’s tenure, Ohlone reached the regional finals of the state tournament.
ALPHA N’DIAYE
