Mamadou Ndiaye, a 7-foot-6 junior at UC Irvine, has officially decided to forgo his final season of college eligibility and enter the NBA Draft.
Ndiaye, who is one of only two 7-foot-6 college players in the country, declared for the draft last month but has not hired an agent. He told ESPN’s Jeff Goodman he will not return to UC Irvine next year.
Goodman previously reported that Ndiaye had workouts scheduled with the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets.
Ndiaye is considered a very raw NBA prospect. The 22-year-old averaged 12.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game last season. This year’s draft class is considered very weak, so it makes sense that he would make the leap now.
Some of you may remember Ndiaye from the hilarious photo we shared with you a few years back of a tiny player posting him up. He won’t find himself in many situations like that if and when he appears in an NBA game.
Photo: Scott Olmos-USA TODAY Sports
