At just 19, Senegalese talent Mouhamed Faye is making waves in Italy's Legabasket with standout performances for Reggio Emilia. Guided by Coach Dimitris Priftis, Faye has embraced a key role, averaging nearly a double-double this season. With NBA scouts watching closely and dreams of a global stage, Faye has a bright future in front of him.
A common issue in European basketball, especially in recent years, is the challenge younger players face in securing meaningful playing time.
Despite being included on first-team rosters, many talented young players see limited minutes and are often loaned to smaller clubs in search of consistent opportunities. This frequently leads to wasted developmental years before they can establish a concrete role.
This trend is particularly evident in Italy, where many promising youngsters are compelled to drop to lower divisions to gain playing time.
While the top division of the Italian league mandates that each team have at least five Italian players on its roster, few clubs are willing to entrust young players with defined roles in their squads.
However, there are notable exceptions to this trend. One such example is Mouhamed Faye, a Senegalese big man under contract with Unahotels Reggio Emilia, whose prominence in the Italian league has grown significantly.
At just 19 years old, Faye is already regarded as one of the brightest talents in Legabasket.
Arriving in Italy in 2021, he began his integration into Reggio Emilia's first team in earnest last season. There, he quickly established himself as an important player.
Faye averaged over 18 minutes per game – a remarkable achievement for someone so young.
Much of this progress is due to coach Dimitris Priftis, who took charge of Reggio Emilia last season. Priftis recognized Faye's potential and gave the young center the confidence and opportunities he needed to thrive.
This continuity and trust shown to him by coach Prifitis have been essential for young Faye, as the player confessed to BasketNews.
"For a young player like me, it's essential to play and find consistency," Faye told BasketNews. "By playing more, you can find more confidence in yourself. The fact that, since last season, I've started to play more and more has been extremely important for my growth as a player."
"I know that, often, for younger players, it is difficult to find space [in the rotation], so I'm aware that I'm extremely lucky to have this opportunity," the 19-year-old continued.
The Greek coach's arrival on the Reggio Emilia bench last season immediately brought the changes the club hoped for.
After a complicated 2022-23 season, in which Reggio Emilia had managed to avoid relegation only on the last round of the domestic league, the Italian team had decided to change things up, relying on two highly experienced profiles: Claudio Coldebella as GM and Dimitris Priftis as head coach.
In his first season at the helm of Reggio Emilia, the Greek coach immediately led the team to the playoffs, finishing the regular season in fifth place.
This season, Faye is playing even more minutes, and his performance is getting even better. The Senegalese player averages 9.7 points, 9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game, shooting 64 percent from the field.
The excellent relationship between Faye and the Greek coach is definitely one of the key aspects of the young Senegalese player's growth.
"I believe that coach Priftis has been a key factor in my development as a player," the big man told BasketNews.
"It's not easy for a coach to give space to a player with no experience at this level, but he believed in me from the start, he gave me confidence, and I learned a lot from him. Coach Priftis is my first coach as a pro, so I'm trying to learn as much as I can from him".
Faye's performance is inevitably attracting NBA scouts' attention. A player of his size, 211 cm, and his ability to finish at the rim is always extremely intriguing.
Faye is an excellent roller and offensive rebounder, and he also has significant athleticism, allowing him to always go to the rebound with great energy and competence.
Defensively, he is one of the best-shot blockers around but can also be very effective as a defender in pick-and-roll situations. For a 19-year-old player, he already has a defensive potential that could lead him to become a true specialist.
Last summer, Faye attended the Adidas EuroCamp in Treviso, the biggest pre-draft event for international prospects. It was an opportunity that gave him the chance to work closely with NBA coaches.
"The Adidas EuroCamp was a great experience for me," Faye admitted.
"You have the opportunity to work with NBA personnel but also to compete against the best talents in the European environment.
"Every year, at least a couple of players who attend the EuroCamp are selected in the NBA Draft, so it's a unique opportunity to face some of the best prospects in the continent. I also really enjoyed the chance to talk with current NBA players and some legends of the game. It was an exciting moment for me," he added.
However, the experience with the NBA world didn't stop at Adidas EuroCamp. Faye had also declared for the 2024 Draft before having his name removed from the list at the deadline.
This led him to work in the United States with several NBA franchises and assess his level. The work done over the summer has definitely brought good results because NBA teams are continuing to follow him with great continuity.
Just a few weeks ago, for example, the Lakers and Mavericks scouts were in Reggio Emilia to follow him closely. Currently, Faye is ranked No. 56 in the top 100 prospects for the upcoming draft compiled by ESPN's Jonathan Givony.
"From the moment I started playing basketball, the trip to the United States this summer was one of the best experiences I have had," Faye revealed to BasketNews.
"Going overseas, understanding how basketball in the US really works was amazing. I worked out with a lot of players who were later selected in the draft, and that helped me a lot in understanding what I need to improve and how high the level of the NBA really is".
For Faye, the NBA goal is not an obsession, but it is still a dream that the Senegalese player believes is attainable if he continues to work as hard as he has so far.
"It's a dream, for sure, but I think it's a possible dream, you know? I feel like if I keep working hard, I can get to the level, so I believe it can happen. But I don't want it to become a do-or-die kind of thing for me.
"I grew up watching players like Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo, they're my idols, so playing against them it's something that I'd really love to do. Hopefully, it'll happen at some point", Faye explained.
But besides his possible future in the NBA, there is also some curiosity around the choice of national team to play for as far as Faye is concerned.
Arriving in Italy in 2021, the Reggio Emilia player will soon complete his formation, allowing him to obtain Italian player status in the league.
Once the player obtains an Italian passport, he will have the opportunity to choose whether to represent Italy or Senegal, his country of origin.
Faye, in fact, has never yet played for the Senegalese national team, which leaves the door open to the possibility that he could become an option for the Italian national team, which historically has always had trouble finding physically dominant players close to the basket.
However, in the meantime, Faye is focusing on his growth, which is helping Reggio Emilia have another top-notch season.
In fact, the Italian club is in fourth place in the league with a record of 9 wins and 3 losses. In addition, Coach Priftis' team has qualified for the play-in phase of the BCL, where they will face the Germans of Bonn.
In his first experience in a European competition, Faye is averaging 7.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game, playing almost 20 minutes per game.
Now, the young Senegalese player can also count on the experience of Kenneth Faried, who recently arrived in Reggio Emilia, to strengthen the frontcourt further.
"Having a player of Kenneth's experience close by is very important to me. He and other experienced elements of the group, like Winston, Smith, and Vitali, always give me a lot of advice on how to be on the court and how to improve. Being around them, I know that I can only get better," Faye concluded.
