Seny Ndiaye Details Decision to Choose WVU, Arrival Date + More
Late Wednesday night, Bob Huggins and the West Virginia coaching staff filled the final spot for the 2020-21 roster with the addition of center Seny Ndiaye of Huntington Prep.
Ndiaye also had interest from Marshall and Providence along with a few others, but ultimately decided that he did not want to leave the Mountain State.
"The people here show so much love. They don't have much, but they're super proud of what they do have," Ndiaye said. "West Virginia is by far my favorite state, hands down.
"Coach Erik Martin was sincere and natural throughout the entire recruitment. He showed me where I can improve and I love him, he's got a great personality."
Ndiaye is orginially from Dakar, Senegal and made the move to the United States in November of 2018. He told Mountaineer Maven that there were some adjustments he had to make to play with the kids in the U.S., mainly centering his focus on his strength.
"I've always been a rebounder and a shot blocker, but I was very skinny so I had to build some muscle to be more physical on the court. I block shots, rebound, and run the floor pretty well, which is why I got the WVU offer but I need to work on my ball handling and shooting."
Ndiaye says that he is planning on arriving in Morgantown later this week and the details are still being ironed out. West Virginia is anticipating to resume summer workouts on July 20th. Once Ndiaye does make it onto campus, it won't all be unfamiliar territory as he's been to campus twice for visits and will have his former teammate Isaiah Cottrell playing alongside with him.
"I visited twice and I really loved it. Everytime I met someone they would tell me that Coach Huggins is going to take good care of you," Ndiaye said. "When I first got to Huntington Prep, Isaiah [Cottrell] and I were always on the same team and we were killing it. We're really good friends and I think with him and I on the court, we can do some really big things. He's a very good player and I think he'll go to the NBA."
With Ndiaye only having five years of experience playing organized basketball, it may take some time for him to make an impact. A redshirt wouldn't be a terrible idea as Huggins has Oscar Tshiebwe, Derek Culver, Gabe Osabuohien, and Isaiah Cottrell that will be in the rotation underneath. Ndiaye will be able to learn from each of those guys and take the next step in his development without losing a year of eligibility. However, if he gets to Morgantown and is able to throw on a lot of muscle weight prior to the season, there is a chance he could see the floor. But again, the best decision may be to redshirt Ndiaye and prepare him for a bigger role in 2021-22.
What are your expectations for Seny Ndiaye in 2020-21? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
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