On April 6, 2023, WDRB sports journalist Rick Bozich broke the news that Louisville Men’s Head Basketball Coach Kenny Payne made the trip to Saly, Senegal to witness the first NBA Academy Showcase.
The showcase is set to take place from April 6th-April 9th and will feature Louisville target Churchill Abass as well as many other coveted prospects.
Upon the release of the rosters, there were a few guards in the 2023 class who Kenny Payne could be targeting, due to their size.
Hamad Mousa
Hamad Mousa is a 6-foot-6 shooting guard originally from Doha, Qatar. In the Showcase, he is suiting up for Team White.
He is eligible to join a Division I collegiate program this year much like Churchill Abass and he fits the Kenny Payne-type mold for a guard with his 6-foot-6 frame.
In six games this year as a part of the Australia U20 Championship, he scored 61 points, 29 rebounds, and 12 assists.
He may still have some rawness to his game, but the potential is there for the big guard and could develop as a Cardinal alongside Emmanuel Okorafor.
🇶🇦 Hamad Mousa ('06) is clearly a long-term prospect, but shows some highly intriguing flashes as a shooter and driver. Expect him to develop well at NBA Global Academy and turn into a good pro down the line.#FIBAU18Asia pic.twitter.com/6i2MjBfoQa
— Marius (@7_Ft_Schnitzel) August 28, 2022
Yaniel Rivera
Yaniel Rivera is a 6-foot-3 guard who is suiting up for Team NBA Academy Latin America. Originally from Puerto Rico, he has spent the past season as a member of the Dade Christian School Crusaders in South Florida.
Last season, he was a senior in high school and averaged 11.4 points per game, 3.1 rebounds per game, and 6.3 assists per game. But, the year before he played in four games for Puerto Rico in the FIBA Americas U18, where he recorded 51 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists.
He’s got some impressive handles and a decent shot.
Yaniel Rivera- PG 6’4 @nbaacademy class 2023 @_yvnielll pic.twitter.com/W9JaNYQkUF
— javier rivera (@JavierStylos) August 21, 2022
Pape Magatte Kounta
Pape Magatte Kounta is a 6-foot-4 guard who is suiting up for the SEED Academy in the NBA Academy Africa Showcase.
"“The SEED Academy is the first basketball student-athlete academy in Africa. Up to 40 high potential student-athletes, boys and girls, live, train and work towards achieving their goal of attending university.”"
A native of Senegal, Kounta is a big body guard who can put up points but is heavily under-recruited and under-scouted. Standing at 6-foot-4, he could create size mismatches at the guard position.
In a game in March 2022, he led his team in points with 14.
#basket221 #nm1 #J5
— Basket221 Officiel 🏀🇸🇳 (@basket_221) March 31, 2022
Les boppois s’imposent face aux cheminots après un très beau duel
BOPP 🔝
Thierry Sagna : 19 Pts
Papa Adiouma Diop : 16 Pts
RAIL 🔝
Pape Magatte Kounta : 14 Pts#senegal #basketlocalsn pic.twitter.com/rvNKYpiXQ7
Gallo Mbengue
Gallo Mbengue is also a member of the SEED Academy along with Pape Magatte Kounta. Mbengue is a 6-foot-2 guard who can also put up points.
He is the fourth player on this list who is a part of the 2023 class and is eligible to join a collegiate program next season.
In early 2022, he put up 19 in a game, making him the third highest scorer in the matchup.
Top players : Baye Niaw Camara (25 points), Gallo Mbengue (22 points) et Ibrahima Sylla(19 points) se sont distingués ce week-end lors de la 1e journée de #n1masculin.#basketsenegal #kebetu #topplayers pic.twitter.com/qlM4khWvv2
— 🇸🇳BasketSenegal🇸🇳 (@Basket_Senegal) February 16, 2022