Kentucky is still getting to know Ousmane N’Diaye, but one of the Wildcats’ younger big men already sounds convinced the newcomer is the real deal.
The 6-11 forward arrived this offseason as something of a mystery to fans, and that hasn’t changed much outside of what has slowly surfaced during summer practices and Media Day. But the more Kentucky has seen of him, the more he seems to be separating himself as one of the most intriguing first-year pieces on the roster.
That’s especially true after Malachi Moreno was asked Monday what he’s noticed from N’Diaye over the last few months. Moreno didn’t hold back.
"He's changed his game a ton," Moreno said of N'Diaye. "I think the first couple weeks was kind of getting an overall feel for what college basketball is, but ever since then, (Ousmane) is something else.
He's shooting the ball and I think just overall his physicality is just taking a big step forward, and he's gonna surprise a lot of people. Might even be an All-American. ...
I think from what I've seen on tapes, I think overseas he was kind of spread out on the floor a little bit more, not asked as much to do a lot in the paint. So I think he's kind of understanding what it is now, and now he's really starting to play."
For a player who hasn’t logged a single second of college basketball yet, that’s about as strong a compliment as you’ll hear. Moreno’s comments also line up with the idea that N’Diaye needed some time to adjust to the college game, which is a common hurdle for international players.
Moreno was then asked if anything in practice had truly jumped out at him from the forward. He pointed to one play that stuck with him.
"One day in practice, we were in a drill and he just came flying down the court and jumped from on the SEC logo and I was scratching my head because I was like, 'I ain't never seen that before' and he dunked the ball hard too, and I was like, 'Your hand hurt?' and he was like, 'No', so that's all you need to know."
That kind of moment helps explain why N’Diaye has started drawing attention inside the program. He came in as one of Kentucky’s least-known newcomers, but now he’s looking like a player teammates are already talking about in a big way.
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