Incoming Georgia Tech Center Mouhamed Sylla Ranked As One Of The Top Five Impact Freshmen In The ACC

Jackson Caudell | May 18, 2025

Georgia Tech freshman center Mouhamed Sylla has a chance to be an impact player next season / 247Sports- Brandon Jenkin

Georgia Tech Basketball saw improvement in the win column under Damon Stoudamire in his second season and they are hoping to repeat that in 2025-2026. One of the reasons for optimism is how Stoudamire is recruiting and the incoming freshman class has potential impact players. The highes-rated member of the 2025 class was center Mouhamed Sylla. Sylla is one of the top center prospects in the entire country and 247Sports Grant Hughes ranked him No. 5 in a list of 10 instant impact freshmen:

"The 6-foot-10 Sylla has exceptional movement skills for his size and will compete for a spot on the All-ACC defensive team as a true freshman in 2025-26. A native of Senegal, Sylla is old for his age and will turn 21 midway through his freshman season at Georgia Tech."

"Sylla has exceptional movement skills for a player his size, but also owns a rock-solid build," director of scouting Adam Finkelstein said. "He's already strong and physical, but has plenty of room to continue adding muscle mass once he enters a college weight room. Offensively, he is going to have immediate value as both a rim-runner and lob threat. He changes ends of the floor with a fluid gate and gets off his feet with both explosiveness and power."

A 6-10, 240-pound center, chose Tech over Arkansas and Oregon, originally announcing his commitment on Jan. 16. Sylla is rated a four-star prospect by 247Sports and On3. He is ranked No. 18 in the 2025 class by 247Sports, and the No. 2 center. He is the No. 14 -ranked player overall and No. 1 center according to On3. He was judged the No. 2 prospect in Arizona by ArizonaPreps.com, and also had offers from Duke, Kansas, Alabama, Washington and Arizona State.

“We’re excited to have Mo in the fold! He will impact us from Day 1,” said Stoudamire. “With Baye [Ndongo] back along with our other post additions, we’ll have one of the top front courts in the country. Mo can guard five positions. He immediately gives us another offensive rebounder and rim runner, and he is an elite shot blocker. He’s underrated around the basket, and his offensive game will grow!”

A native of Louga, Senegal, Sylla attended Bella Vista College Preparatory School in Phoenix, Ariz., and played on its national team. He is a member of NBA Academy Africa and the SEED Academy in Senegal, and was a nominee for the McDonald’s All-American Game in 2025.

Sylla joins a Tech recruiting class is ranked No. 12 in in the nation in the team rankings compiled by Rivals, No. 4 among Atlantic Coast Conference teams, and No. 22 in the nation in the 247Sports composite listing.

Four-star 6-4 guard Akai Fleming from Marietta, Ga., who attends Overtime Elite, three-star 6-5 guard/forward Brandon Stores, Jr., from St. Raymond High School for Boys in the Bronx, N.Y., Cole Kirouac, a 6-11 center from Cumming, Ga., who attends Overtime Elite, and 5-11 point guard Eric Chatfield from Pace Academy in Atlanta signed scholarship documents to attend Tech back in November.

Here is a scouting report on Sylla from On3's Jamie Shaw:

“Mouhammed Sylla’s best attribute might be that he always seems to be around the ball. Sylla tracks well in and out of his area, both with rebounding and on the defensive end. Defensively, he has some intriguing versatility. Sylla is capable of sliding his feet and turning his hips with perimeter-based forwards. He is also good in the passing lanes and he can protect the rim both on and off the ball. The frame along with the instincts give him an interesting ceiling on defense. Offensively, Sylla shows some nice flashes. He is best when facing the basket and playing toward the rim. He attempts to dunk everything he catches within five feet of the basket. The 6-foot-10 center rolls well toward the rim and he plays out of the dunker areas, providing vertical floor spacing. He also has some face-up skills off the bounce. Ripping through from the high post and getting to the rim on two or three dribbles. He needs to continue developing the jump shot, tightening the skill set, and working on the reads and processing aspect. But the tolls are there. The current production is already in place. The flashes are a little loose, but they provide an intriguing ceiling.”

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