Jayhawk freshman thriving in new sport

He might not be SenegalâÂÂs biggest soccer fan.

But svelte 6-foot-10, 215-pound Moulaye Niang of Kaolack, Senegal, just might be the tallest supporter of the West African soccer power, which surprisingly advanced to the quarterfinals of the World Cup last summer in Japan before losing to Turkey, 1-0.

âÂÂI was up at four oâÂÂclock in the morning to watch Senegal play. I was ecstatic,â he said. âÂÂI grew up playing soccer. I was a midfielder.âÂÂ

Niang watched his countrymen storm into the quarterfinals from San Diego, where he attended high school. But Niang played basketball Ãi¿½” not soccer Ãi¿½” his junior and senior years at El Cajon Christian High.

Niang, who first picked up a basketball five years ago at age 14, could be the first man off the bench for Kansas University in a matchup with UNC Greensboro at 6 tonight in Allen Fieldhouse.

He admits he is a good soccer player, but could Niang play for the Senegalese national team?

âÂÂIf I pursued it, yeah I think I could,â he said.

Niang is now playing basketball because he inexplicably fell in love with the game at age 14.

âÂÂI was always tall, but nobody in my family played basketball,â Niang said, noting he was too poor to even purchase a roundball. âÂÂMy friends would say, âÂÂ’LetâÂÂs go play basketball.â I would say, âÂÂ’No, I donâÂÂt want to.â One day I got out of school and one of my friends said, âÂÂ’LetâÂÂs go shoot.âÂÂ

âÂÂI went and decided it was fun. I kept going. One day I met a coach of a club team and he said, âÂÂ’You want to learn basketball?â I said, âÂÂ’Yeah.âÂÂâÂÂ

Niang proved he was serious by agreeing to practice with the club-team coach, who lived five miles away. Niang had no means of transportation.

So he walked.

âÂÂI walked five miles to practice and walked five miles back to my house every Sunday,â Niang said. âÂÂThen in the summer I did it every day. IâÂÂd walk five miles and five miles back.âÂÂ

And heâÂÂd sometimes get soaked Ãi¿½” the summer is the rainy season in Senegal.

âÂÂOne thing my parents taught me: If you want to do something, do it at your best,â Niang said. âÂÂIâÂÂve always tried to do the best I can, with the club team, then in San Diego, now here.âÂÂ

A family friend in Senegal who knew a teacher in San Diego made it possible for Niang to attend Christian High.

There he progressed rapidly and drew the attention of college coaches from Connecticut, Michigan, Georgia Tech, San Diego State, New Mexico, several Pac-10 schools and Kansas, which signed Niang to a national letter last November.

âÂÂI thought Moulaye would be able to play for us before he left (KU) for sure, but I thought it might be down the road,â KU coach Roy Williams said.

âÂÂHe just hasnâÂÂt played enough basketball. Because of our lack of depth, No. 1, and also for how hard he works and how quickly he picks things up, particularly on the defensive end of the floor, the timing of that is a lot quicker than I thought itâÂÂd be. If you ask me if IâÂÂm pleased, IâÂÂd say yes. I want him to do a lot more. He needs to do a lot more for us to be really good. He is coming along.âÂÂ

Still raw, Niang surprised many by throwing in an 8-foot hook shot off the backboard during TuesdayâÂÂs Preseason NIT win against Holy Cross.

âÂÂThe jump hook he made the other night, IâÂÂm not so sure he meant to bank it,â Williams said. âÂÂSometimes things look nice and smooth and itâÂÂs not what was intended.âÂÂ

Yet Niang, who has impressed Williams with his âÂÂquick feet,â insists the bank was purposeful.

âÂÂYes, I meant it. Pretty much I like to take the hook shot whenever I can,â Niang said.

He may have learned that watching NBA games on TV in Senegal.

âÂÂWe have satellite TV there,â he said. âÂÂThe NBA … itâÂÂs been one of my dreams to play basketball here. If you want to learn basketball, this (U.S.) is a good place.âÂÂ

He still has some learning to do in basketball, not soccer.

Niang âÂÂ:quot; he hadnâÂÂt played any soccer since heading to the U.S. âÂÂ:quot; participated in a game last summer in Kansas City.

He didnâÂÂt score, but helped his squad to a tie.

âÂÂI have some friends from Senegal who go to KU,â he said. âÂÂThey went to Kansas City to play in an African tournament. They didnâÂÂt have enough players so I played the first game.

âÂÂIt was fun, but I only played because they needed one player. They had enough for the next game. If you are 6-5, 6-6, soccer is fine. You get to be 6-9, 6-10, soccer isnâÂÂt your sport.âÂÂ

Basketball is.