TORONTO — The Ryerson Rams are excited to announce that men's basketball guard Mouhamed Ndiaye (Longueuil, Que.) will be joining Team Senegal at the 2021 FIBA AfroBasket Qualifiers.

Ndiaye, who appeared in 17 games as a rookie with the Rams in 2019-20, will be with the Senegalese team until February 24 in Yaoundé, Cameroon, where the tournament takes place. 

The AfroBasket qualifiers will feature Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Guinea, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tunisia, and Uganda competing for a spot at FIBA's AfroBasket 2021 in Kigali, Rwanda.   

Known for his athleticism and discipline, Ndiaye came to Canada from Senegal when he was 11 years old and, to this day, considers it his motherland.

"It was definitely one of my goals growing up," Ndiaye said of his aspirations of playing for Team Senegal. "It's a great accomplishment but the most important part is to come [in] with a good mentality and help the team grow."

According to FIBA's official schedule, Senegal will play Kenya on February 19, Mozambique on February 20, and Angola on February 21 during the window within which Ndiaye is scheduled to be with the team. 

During the first phase of competition, Team Senegal went 3-0, beating out the same three teams in November. 

"The most exciting part of this experience is the fact [that] I will be able to learn from our elders and from the great staff they [put] together," Ndiaye remarked.

The Rams wish Ndiaye the best of luck in his stint with Team Senegal.