The 7-foot-6 Mamadou Ndiaye declared for the NBA draft without an agent.
And he’s staying in it.
Jeff Goodman of ESPN:
UC Irvine 7-6 junior Mamadou Ndiaye told ESPN that he will remain in the NBA Draft and forgo his final season of college eligibility.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) May 24, 2016
If Ndiaye makes it to the NBA, he’d be the league’s tallest player since Yao Ming – becoming just the fifth player taller than 7-foot-5 to play in the league. Gheorghe Muresan and Manute Bol were 7-foot-7, and Shawn Bradley and Yao were also 7-foot-6.
But Ndiaye is not a lock even to be drafted, let alone make a roster. He has developed tremendously, but he’s still unrefined offensively – though good luck stopping him when he gets the ball near the basket. Defensively, he protects the rim and is predictably awful in space. Teams have too much shooting to allow him just to camp out in the paint.
Someone could take a flier on him in the second round – especially if he’s willing to delay signing to spend a year in the D-League or overseas.
Going pro is probably a good move for Ndiaye, though. He needs to face taller and more athletic foes than he sees in the Big West.
