Is Mamadou Ndiaye Georgetown's Next Big Thing?

Mamadou Ndiaye, a Senagalese 7'5" 310 lb. center in the class of 2013 (Huntington Beach (Calif.) Brethren Christian School), will reportedly choose his college destination among Georgetown, Pepperdine and UC Irvine.

RT @jovichern: Mamadou Ndiaye 7'5 C 2013 Brethren Christian HS (Huntington Beach, CA) is down to Pepperdine, UC Irvine & Georgetown

— Hoopniks (@Hoopniks) September 29, 2012

Ndiaye is the 77th ranked player in ESPN's Top 100 and the 8th ranked center in the Class of 2013, and in addition to his height his backstory is quite compelling:

The story of how a lanky Senegalese kid came to play ball in California is a murky one. Ndiaye is at his second high school in two years. The first, Simi Valley Stoneridge Prep, helped Ndiaye get a student visa as well as a physical exam, which discovered he had a large tumor in his pituitary gland. The disorder may account for his oversized growth, but could also lead to complications including blindness.

I spoke with a Division 1 coach over the weekend who had recruited Ndiaye and he told me that Ndiaye's host parents would prefer he stays out west so they can take care of him and see him play more often. However, they are impressed with Georgetown's history of not just developing big men, but also being a program with a history of having numerous African players. The coach added "he should absolutely go to Georgetown" and "is a basketball monster" but there are questions as to whether he will be eligible.

Georgetown is currently one over the number of available scholarships next season having just landed Top 100 forward Reggie Cameron last week. However, these situations tend to work themselves out and I'm confident room (plenty of room, as it were) will be made should Ndiaye decide to commit to the Hoyas.

After a disappointing weekend in which my fantasy team laid an egg (because you care) and Team USA collapsed in the Ryder Cup (thanks, Stricker), this is some exciting news for a Monday. Stay tuned.