Sidi Gueye, international basketball prospect, joins Arizona

Sidi Gueye, one of the top international prospects in his age group, told ESPN on Wednesday that he has committed to Arizona.

“Coach [Tommy] Lloyd is one of the top coaches in college, and he has coached many international players before,” Gueye told ESPN. “He made me feel comfortable and showed me how I can improve and produce in his system.”

The 6-foot-11 forward from Senegal made his EuroLeague and Spanish ACB league debuts for Real Madrid in October, just weeks after turning 17. He will likely be one of the youngest players in college basketball next season.

“To play for Real Madrid was amazing,” Gueye said. “They are a great organization and have helped me so much in my basketball development. It is exciting to go to the United States for college, and so many more top players are coming over, making the decision easier. I wanted to continue to get better, and college seemed like a good next step.”

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Gueye is an elite defender who is often tasked with guarding smaller players on the perimeter. He has a 7-foot-4 wingspan, which gives him significant versatility on that end of the floor, and he was a prolific shot blocker at the European junior level.

Born in Senegal, Gueye says he started playing basketball at the age of 12 in 2019 and arrived in Spain in November 2021 after his youth coach helped connect him with Real Madrid.

Lloyd built his reputation as one of the early pioneers in the international basketball recruiting realm at Gonzaga by reeling in the likes of Domantas Sabonis (Lithuania), Ronny Turiaf (France), Rui Hachimura (Japan), Kelly Olynyk (Canada), Mario Kasun (Croatia) and others, and Gueye will help continue that pipeline at Arizona.

Gueye said Lloyd’s track record with international players, and Arizona’s current roster, which already boasts at least three other internationals in Anthony Dellorso (Australia), Motiejus Krivas (Lithuania), and Dwayne Aristode (Netherlands), played a role in his decision.

“It will help a lot,” Gueye said. “They have had Oumar Ballo, Christian Koloko, Benn Mathurin, and many other international players, which helps to see others have done the same journey. I am excited to meet my new teammates and become close as a team.”

Arizona’s roster will look significantly different next season as leading scorer Caleb Love exhausted his college eligibility along with starting power forward Trey Townsend. Key rotation pieces Henri Veesaar and KJ Lewis transfered to North Carolina and Georgetown, respectively. Projected first-round pick Carter Bryant is currently testing the NBA draft waters.

The Wildcats added three highly regarded freshmen in Aristode, big man Koa Peat and guard Brayden Burries, as well as LeBron James’ son, Bryce James.

Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service used by NBA, NCAA and international teams.