One of the new additions to the 2026-27 roster that has turned heads quickly in his time in Lexington is power forward Ousmane N’Diaye. The Senegalese 7’0 forward has been in Italy playing pro ball but was ready to come to America and play college hoops. He is a player that Big Blue Nation has been very excited about, and it sounds like the coaching staff and players have all been surprised by how quickly he is adjusting to playing here in the States. We always seem to see international players come to the USA and struggle to get acclimated to college hoops, but that doesn’t sound like the case for N’Diaye. BYU's head coach Mark Pope points during the Big 12 basketball game against Texas Tech, Saturday, Jan. 20, 2024, at United Supermarkets Arena. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectBoth Coach Pope and Justin McBride have raved about how good N’Diaye has been for this team early in the summer. Last year, the Wildcats had an international player named Andrija Jelaivc, and it took him a while to get to campus. Some felt that this was the reason that he struggled early into the season, but luckily N’Diaye was able to get to campus quickly, and this will pay off big time. When it comes to his play on the floor, N’Diaye is a really good athlete and shooter. That is what everyone had heard about him before he got on campus, and it sounds like over the few weeks so far in the gym, that has been the case. Sometimes the skills these international players put on film overseas don’t always look the same once they get here, but N’Diaye has looked even better. 6-11 Ousmane Ndiaye is having a strong season with Vanoli CremonaThe 2004 born Senegalese forward is averaging 10.3 Points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.7 stocks per game this season on 26.8 MPG in Serie A competition Twitchy movements, can space the floor, runs the floor very well,… pic.twitter.com/xHGKz3vjXR— Arman Jovic (@PDTScouting) April 10, 2026N’Diaye will be a player that not many outside of Kentucky will know all that much about heading into the season, but I believe that he is going to turn heads very quickly. I predict N’Diaye is going to start this season for the Wildcats at the four and that he could even turn himself into a draft pick if he puts up the numbers that he is capable of. All BBN knew of N’Diaye when he picked the Wildcats was a five-minute video of him playing international ball, so fans wondered if he would live up to the hype. Early into summer workouts, it sounds like he could be a superstar for Pope and the Wildcats. If he hits his upside at Kentucky, this is going to be a really big boost for Pope’s team as they look to do something special. Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and YouTube for the latest news.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow