By JACOB POLACHECK
After moving to the United States from Senegal in February of 2019, 6-foot-10 center Baye Fall has emerged as an elite prospect in the Class of 2023.
Fall currently holds offers from Georgia, Georgetown, Minnesota and Kansas. He broke down each school:
Minnesota: “I don’t really know about them since I’ve never been to visit, but I just talk to the coach. They were my first offer, from eighth grade, last year. I don’t really know about the school and everything.”
Georgetown: “I think Georgetown is a good school too because they play their bigs a lot. They play with a lot of bigs and it’s a phenomenal, big time school.”
Georgia: “Georgia is a good, good, good school, too. I like the campus because I got a video of it. I also like their team. Anthony Edwards is one of the players that I admire. I admire his game. I’m not trying to copy him or anything, but I admire the way he plays.”
Kansas: “The only school I’ve been to before they offered was KU. It wasn’t really a basketball visit. I just went there last year with my parents because I was in Kansas City for AAU. It was good for me. It was a nice campus. I like their program. I like the conference they’re in and it’s a big school.”
Fall has also received interest from Arizona State, Maryland, Colorado, Memphis, LSU, TCU, Arkansas, Baylor, Texas, Ohio State, New Mexico, Washington State and Iowa.
“I’m looking for schools that are really good for me, that will play me, help my game and my academic career,” Fall said. “I want a school that will help my development, as well as a school that likes me and wants to play me so I can show more about my game and improve. I’m also looking for a good academic program.”
Fall was ranked as the No. 6 overall player in the Class of 2023 by ESPN.com on Tuesday.
Fall, who has been playing basketball since the sixth grade, moved to the United States from Senegal in February of 2019.
“The transition wasn’t that hard [basketball-wise],” Fall said. “The only thing that was hard is the system of playing. Back home, it’s really physical. While it’s still physical here, it’s more about plays and techniques. It’s more skilled. I’ve learned more about the game here than back home.”
Fall currently attends Lutheran (CO) High School, where he averaged 19.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.8 blocks per game as a freshman last season.
Outside of basketball, Fall says the most difficult part of the transition from Senegal has been being away from his family and friends.
“I’ve never been out of my country,” Fall said. “The biggest thing is just missing my people back there, my friends and family.”
“Academically, I kind of struggled a little bit at the beginning, but not for too long,” he said. “I spoke pretty good english when I came out here because I was able to speak english back home for a little bit. It was just hard missing back home.”
In addition to English, Fall also speaks French, some Spanish and two languages that he learned while growing up in Senegal.
“Wolof and Poullar,” Fall said. “Wolof is the national language that everyone speaks there. The national language there is like Wolof and French mixed.”
“Back home, pretty much everyone is born with two languages, French and Wolof,” he said. “Poullar is like a tribal language, my mom’s tribe so I grew up speaking it.”
Fall was ranked as the No. 6 overall player in the Class of 2023 by ESPN.com on Tuesday.
“I would describe my game as a big man with a high motor,” he said. “I can run and there are a lot of people that say that I can potentially play the three positions.
“I can shoot. I would think I’m kind of athletic, not saying that to brag. I would consider my game a combination of Giannis [Antetokounmpo] and Joel Embiid.”
While Fall was slated to play AAU with the Colorado Hawks on the Under Armour Association Circuit, due to the coronavirus, he has been training from home.
“I’ve been working out all day, going to parks to workout with friends,” he said. “I’ve been working out on my own in the mornings every day. In the evening, if I don’t play basketball with others, I’ll do some strength work, work on my balance, speed and skills, big man skills and guard skills.”
Fall said the two areas of his game that he’s most focused on improving are his three-point shot and ball handling.
Photo: The Athletic
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