What to Expect From Babacar Sane at G League Ignite
Babacar Sane, a 19-year-old prospect, who has been one of the best young players coming out of Senegal during the past few years, signed a two-year contract with G League Ignite earlier this week according to Marc J. Spears, where he will prepare ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft.
Sane took a very unique route to get to G League Ignite.
Unlike many of his peers, who leave Senegal early in their careers and either sign with top European professional teams or enroll at some of the top high schools for basketball in the States, Sane found an opportunity to stay in Senegal, where he was one of the top prospects in the NBA Academy Africa.
In the 2021-22 season, Sane saw his first action in professional basketball, also in Senegal, as he suited up for a handful of games with Dakar Universite Club in the BAL.
Scouting Overview
Sane stands out immediately on the court due to his physical tools. Listed at 6-foot-8, with long arms and a developed frame for his age, Sane possesses an interesting combination of size and mobility which should allow him to play either as a wing or as a forward.
Sane runs the floor with good speed and shows above average coordination for his size, which allows him to handle the ball and move in traffic. He also shows a level of explosiveness, both off a standstill and with a head of steam, which allows him to finish at the rim and be a prolific rebounder.
While Sane doesn’t have an array of dribble moves, he’s fluid and quick enough to create his own drives against a set defense, being especially effective at beating defenders with his quick first step. Once he gets by his man, he gains a lot of momentum off of his first few steps, which, combined with his above average body control, makes it very difficult for defenders to stop him without fouling on his way to the rim.
His finishing ability is versatile, as he has an impressive level of hangtime and flexibility which allows him to readjust mid air before finishing.
As a shooter, Sane has been making progress in the past two years. He always showed intriguing flashes of touch and ability to shoot off movement, but those moments were rather sporadic and he was certainly inconsistent and also prone to bad misses. In his stint at the BAL, however, Sane showed clear improvement, with a more fluid and repeatable jumper, if he continues to quicken his shot release and is able to maintain a level of efficiency on considerable volume, he should be expected to become at least a respectable spot-up shooter at the pro level.
Defensively, Sane hasn’t found a full-time role on the court so far and there are certain physical limitations that should be considered when thinking of his optimal defensive assignment, as he doesn’t have elite size to be a full-time rim protector and despite his mobility, he lacks the lateral speed to cover guards and quicker wings full time. The best bet might be to utilize his tools, namely his size, strength and length, in order to prepare him to defend bigger forwards at the next level of competition.
NBA Questions and Projections
Considering his combination of tools, his ability to attack the rim and his potential as a shooter, Sane has a really interesting profile as a forward who offers both a level of self-creation and off-ball scoring.
Developing as a defender and finding his optimal role should be one of the key aspects of his development at Ignite, given that 6-foot-8 forwards who can put the ball on the floor, shoot and make a positive impact on the defensive end of the floor are extremely valuable at the NBA level.
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