Washington State forward Mouhamed Gueye officially declares for NBA draft

From staff reports

Washington State forward Mouhamed Gueye made his intention to turn professional official Tuesday, announcing on social media that he decided to enter his name into the 2023 NBA draft.

“The past two seasons at Washington State University have been instrumental in my development both on and off the court,” Gueye wrote in a Twitter post. “I owe a special thank you to all my teammates and coaches. I’m forever thankful for my family and loved ones for the love and support that they show me.”

Gueye, a sophomore from Dakar, Senegal, averaged 14.3 points and 8.4 rebounds in 33 games for the Cougars this season.

Before attending Washington State, Gueye moved from Senegal to the United States when he was 16 and enrolled at Prolific Prep, a school known for its basketball program, in Napa, California. Gueye committed to the Cougars out of high school as a four-star prospect.

Gueye was selected to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team last season and tied Klay Thompson’s record for starts by a true freshman with 33.

An ESPN mock draft published on March 9 has Gueye projected to be picked 40th overall in the second round.

“Four years ago, I was at home (in Dakar), not thinking anything about basketball, just having fun with it and playing soccer,” Gueye told The Spokesman-Review in March. “It’s pretty crazy when I think about my journey so far. But I’m just trying to keep going, trying to improve. It’s kind of normal to me, like, ‘What’s next?’ ”