Momo Faye: From Senegal to Italy

Mouhamed "Momo" Faye has had an incredible journey from picking up the game at the age of 13 to now being on NBA Draft Boards. How are his chances to be selected?

Faye’s journey from Dakar to Reggio Emilia is incredible. Initially playing football in his early years, he picked up the game at a court near the field he would play at, he was noticed by a scout in 2021. And after this chance encounter, he left his home the same year, leaving behind his family to pursue his new future. His game, which once felt limited and unpolished, has developed at an exponential rate. With the guidance of head coach Dimitris Priftis and the mentorship of seasoned teammates like Kenneth Faried, who continually pushed Faye to improve each day. From completely changing his shooting mechanics to understanding how to play organized, high-level defense, his progress has made him one of the most exciting 20-year-old prospects in Europe. Momo’s future may still be a blank slate, but his journey is marked by relentless effort, humility, and a passion that reflects the mindset of the very professionals he’s learning from. If he continues on this upward path, the young center who once went unnoticed in a local gym in Dakar could soon be making waves at the NBA level. Here’s a comprehensive report on what Faye brings to an NBA team.

Faye boxes out his man, looking to get a rebound (Credit Unknown)

Basic Stats (2024-2025): 20.8 MPG, 8.8 PPG, 1.5 APG, 6.7 RPG, 0.4 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 1.5 TO, 63.2% FG

PROS

• Off the charts athleticism combined with great length

  • Absolutely absurd leaping ability considering his size along with some incredible speed, especially for his position

    • Can run the floor faster than some guards, makes him ELITE in transition as a great lead man (83rd %tile PPP Rating)

  • When combining these two things with the fact that he has a 7’5” wingspan, it could spell good things for his ceiling.

• Great lob finisher

  • Really solid ability to finish on the move, and displays it well as a lob finisher

  • Maintains momentum all the way through his attempt, utilizes leaping ability well. Shows a lot of fluidity in the air.

  • Uses speed to get behind the defense quickly, gives the ballhandler the opportunity to get an easy lob up for an easy finish.

• Utilized well in screening and does so well

  • Knows when to generate contact or slip earlier, and can do both effectively. Shows off good positioning when he wants to get contact, and ability to get behind the defense

• Handle is okay

  • For someone who is told to be a great rim finisher and a shot-blocker, you are definitely satisfied with how he handles the ball down low. Keeps it out of harm’s way and doesn’t do too much.

    • This gives me a lot of hope when it comes developing some shot creation abilities. He has the tools to have a solid back to the basket game, so if partnered with the right staff, this will be his next step.

• Excellent footwork

  • When trying to get a bucket down low, none of the steps he takes look heavy. Everything looks quick and firm.

• Tenacity on the boards (4.2 DReb/Game, 2.4 OReb/Game)

  • Shows great timing, especially on offense, where he can convert a lot of those boards into easy putbacks.

  • Pogo sticks for legs, gets off the ground super quickly to get another chance at a rebound.

• Effective finisher (80th %tile PPS Rank)

  • Uses length well to finish on both sides of the rim, uses body control well to absorb contact and contorts his body to finish from a multitude of angles when under the rim

  • Plays off two nicely, plants his feet firmly to give him a good base going back up

• Shot blocking ability is solid (1.5 BPG)

  • Displays great timing, allowing him to utilize his leaping ability to go up and change the trajectory of shots.

CONS

• Has some issues finishing around the rim

  • While not super huge, he struggles in contact, especially when the help comes.

• Stronger hands (on the catch or coming down with the rebound)

  • Sometimes isn’t strong enough with the ball, often leads to some preventable turnovers

• No outside shot

  • Limits positional versatility, probably won’t ever develop a jumper

• Playmaking out of the post

  • Defense can collapse on him without having to worry about the threat of an outside shot, as his passing ability really isn’t there yet.

• No Post-up game

  • Considering how solid his footwork and quickness are, you would expect an ability to face up and use those tools to get precise, quick movements for easy buckets. He also carves out space for him to operate in his duck ins.

  • It hasn’t materialized yet in terms of efficiency. Seems to rush himself a ton into a shot without thinking where he is in the paint.

    • I don’t really see this being much of a problem to be fair. As an NBA GM, I would love to see it come around, but plenty of bigs have survived without it, especially in the modern day. It will come around, but initially, coaches will have to gameplan around this and ensure he isn’t thrown into the fire.

Final Take: An elite athlete with exceptional length, speed, and leaping ability, excelling in transition and around the rim but limited by a lack of shooting and playmaking and shot-creating abilities.

Draft Projection: Undrafted. If he gets a contract, I could see him spending some time in the G-League before getting real pro looks.

Player Comp: Clint Capela; displays great length, good lob finisher, and is a solid shot blocker.