SMU head basketball coach Matt Doherty added another Senegal National Team player to the basketball team’s roster. Mouhammad Faye, a red shirt sophomore who formerly played at Georgia Tech, will be the Mustangs’ third player from Senegal. During his freshman year at Georgia Tech, he played in 30 of 32 games with eight starts.

Faye must sit out for a year due to NCAA regulations, but is eligible to start practicing with the team immediately. This means that Faye can start playing once grades are posted after the fall 2008 semester.

In the summer of 2007, Faye averaged 12 points per game in the FIBA Africa championships. Even though Senegal did not qualify for the 2008 Olympics, Faye scored 20 and 22 points in wins over Morocco and South Africa.

Faye is a physical specimen standing at 6 feet 9 inches and weighing 208 pounds. He has a 7-foot-3-inch wingspan and will complement big men Bamba Fall and Papa Dia because he crashes the boards from the perimeter.

SMU junior post player Bamba Fall said, “Faye is going to be good for us. We can’t wait to get him on the team.” Faye should have an immediate impact on practice with the energy he brings to the court.

Fall thinks that Faye will bring great athleticism to the court. When asked about Faye’s strengths on the court, Fall commented, “I think he is a good ball handler and a good shooter. He can really defend.”

Faye attended Wednesday night’s basketball game against the Houston Cougars and sat on the bench with his new teammates.

Faye does not currently have an athletic scholarship since he is technically a walk-on. Once he starts playing next season, Faye will have one and a half years left of NCAA eligibility.