By Taylor Nigrelli
Sports Editor
It happens about twice every game. Sometimes on a fast break and sometimes when an opposing guard penetrates the St. Bonaventure defense.
The unsuspecting opponent drives toward the net and attempts to lay the ball in for what appears to be an easy basket.
Then, seemingly out of nowhere, junior center Youssou Ndoye steps in. Sometimes he sneaks up from behind and waits for the opposing player to release the ball. Sometimes he flies in from the left or right and arrives in the lane at the very last second.
In either scenario, the seven-foot Senegal native blocks the ball with enough force to send it flying out of bounds.
His teammates slap him on the back, the crowd applauds and the student section erupts.
“I know what I’m good at,” Ndoye said. “I’m just trying to be a presence, to help out the guards when they get beat. It’s a team sport, so we have to work as a team to help each other.”
There are benefits to keeping a seven-footer around. Ndoye has never shied away from swatting the basketball.
He blocked 17 shots in limited action during his freshman season and followed that up with 41 his sophomore year, good for seventh in the Atlantic 10. This year, he’s on pace to soar past that mark. He’s already blocked 35 shots in the first 17 games of the 2013-14 campaign. None of his teammates have more than nine blocks this season.
While he stands at seven feet tall and is quite athletic, Ndoye counts his timing and basketball IQ as the most important skills involved in blocking shots.
“It’s all about timing,” Ndoye said. “It’s not something you go into the gym and work on. It’s more about getting into position and knowing where to be. It’s about IQ.”
As is the case with most college basketball players, Ndoye’s role has increased dramatically on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court. While his shot-blocking ability may be his most noticeable trait, Ndoye’s offensive game has improved this season. He’s gained noticeable muscle since his freshman year and believes his shot selection has improved.
“I’m getting better in the post,” Ndoye said. “I’m becoming better at knowing when to go and when not to go. I’m taking my time down low. I’ve gotten better at everything like knowing my position, how to play defense and being in the right position every time. Then offensively, working on my post game, being able to work with both hands on the post.”
Because of the aggressive nature of his game and the intrinsically-physical nature of playing in the low post, Ndoye tends to foul more often than the average player. He’s second on the team in fouls despite being just fifth in minutes. This is something Ndoye would like to cut down on.
“I do think sometimes I get a lot of unnecessary fouls,” Ndoye said. “That’s just me trying to be aggressive.”
Because Ndoye was a somewhat highly-touted recruit and possesses the rare skill of athleticism as a big man, he’s always faced a higher level of expectation from fans, coaches and commentators alike.
Buffalo News
sports columnist Bucky Gleason mentioned Ndoye in passing in a December article, claiming Ndoye had the most NBA potential of any player in Western New York. Claims like these are why Head Coach Mark Schmidt routinely mentions how hard he is on Ndoye. They are why Ndoye faces such harsh criticism when he makes mistakes.
“I have expectations for myself, so every time I play, I’m trying to prove myself right instead of trying to prove other people wrong,” Ndoye said. “I don’t know what they want, but I have high expectations for myself.”
Because Ndoye is a prominent Division I athlete in a basketball-obsessed region, he’s unable to totally avoid the criticism leveled against him. Just as he’s unable to escape the praise when he plays well. However, he’s learned to not put too much stock into what people off the court have to say about games.
“I don’t listen to most of (the criticism) because we know, as players, what’s going on out on the court,” Ndoye said. “It’s easy when watching from the outside to say ‘he’s supposed to do this or that’ but when you’re on the court, you see more than what people on the outside see. We just try to stay positive and do the best we can. When you make a mistake, you don’t do it on purpose. Sometimes, it just happens.”
Ndoye and the Bonnies have already begun conference play in the ultra-competitive and deep Atlantic 10. He knows the team will likely stumble at some point down the way, but he’s confident if the team stays calm, success will follow.
“We have to stay poised, Ndoye said. “We can’t afford to get a big lead and then blow it away in the last minute. We have to stay poised and know that this is our game.”
“Nobody’s perfect. We’re just trying to stay poised and do what we do best.”
