Posted on: Tuesday, October 12, 2004

6-8 forward to sign with UH

By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer

Five days before the opening of the 2004-05 season, the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team got a jump on 2005-06 yesterday.

Ahmet Tidiane Gueye, a 6-foot-8, 230-pound forward at Salt Lake Community College (Utah), said he is committed to playing for the Rainbow Warriors starting in the 2005-06 season.

He said he will sign an official letter of intent during the early signing period, Nov. 10 to 17.

"Hawai'i reminded me a lot of my home. The ocean is beautiful and the people are all very nice," said Gueye, who visited UH two weeks ago. "And the players and coaches made me feel like I was already a part of the team."

Gueye is from Senegal, a country in west Africa. He speaks four languages — English, French, Spanish and the African language Wolof — and is still learning basketball.

"He's still raw," Salt Lake head coach Norm Parrish said. "But he's improved a ton since he got here. He gets better and better every day."

Gueye averaged 7.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in just 14.4 minutes of playing time as a freshman last season. He also led the team with a .581 field goal percentage (90 of 155), and 27 blocked shots.

"At the beginning of the year, he was our last guy on the bench," Parrish said. "By the end of the year, he was starting and was one of our better players."

Gueye added: "I made my decision early so I could concentrate on this season. I really want to improve before I go to Hawai'i."

Gueye, 22, said one of his uncles in Texas helped him enroll at Salt Lake.

"I wanted to come to America to better myself, not just in basketball, but in education also," he said.

He said he was also being recruited by Utah, Utah State, Boise State, Wyoming and Brigham Young.

Assuming Gueye fulfills his commitment, Hawai'i can sign four other new players for 2005-06. Gueye would be a junior at UH in the 2005-06 season.

Current UH forward Jeff Blackett and former 'Bow Troy Ostler are former Salt Lake players.

The 2004-05 Hawai'i team will make its public debut during the annual Midnight Ohana on Friday at the Stan Sheriff Center.

Reach Dayton Morinaga at dmorinaga@honoluluadvertiser.com or 535-8101.