Bassirou Dieng Slated to Play for Georgia Tech in 2008-09 Season

Georgia Tech has announced that Bassirou Dieng, who has just been accepted to Tech’s International Affairs graduate program, will play for the Yellow Jackets’ in the 2008-09 season. Dieng, who played basketball for St. Francis University (Pa.) for the last two seasons, has been awarded one year of immediate eligibility by the NCAA. While playing for St. Francis, Dieng (pronounced dee-ENG) averaged 8.5 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game and shot 46.2 percent from the floor. In addition to his two years at St. Francis, the six foot nine, 215 pound-player also played at Norfolk State during their 2004-05 season. Following NCAA transfer rules, Dieng accordingly waiting in the sidelines during the 2005-06 season at St. Francis.

According to NCAA regulations, the NCAA has the ability to grant a waiver for student-athletes enrolling in graduate programs not offered at their previous school. Dieng, who completed his undergraduate degree in Political Science and International Studies at St. Francis in the spring, will begin his graduate work at Georgia Tech in the fall and will  be eligible to play for the Yellow Jacket’s in accordance with the NCAA waiver. Yellow Jackets’ coach Paul Hewitt has expressed his excitement about Dieng, a native of Dakar, Senegal, joining the Georgia Tech men’s basketball team.

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