Interesting new name in the draft at Center

[TheRaven]

Let me first re-iterate that I am aware of the downsides and risk in a prospect like this. I am not uninformed or a fanboy going bonkers over a raw prospect, just wanted to make posters here aware that there may be another defensive big man option in the draft available.

My own quick summary:
Like most, I hadn't heard about 7 foot Saer Sene until recently. He is a legit 7 foot and reportedly a wingspan around 7-7. It is not surprising why, as he is an African basketball prospect that plays in a second tier Belgian basketball league. Supposedly, he has only been playing basketball two years and is extremely raw. He is about 19, perhaps 20-21 years old. African nations don't record birth certificates in many cases, thus the "perhaps". Still, he has shown uncanny shotblocking and rebounding instincts for someone who has been playing such a short time.

He is now a hot name among scouts after he showed up in the 2006 Nike Hoop Summit and came away with 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 9 blocks. He did this against a couple of PF/C prospects that are heading to major colleges. It is too bad Greg Oden wasn't at this camp. I am certain Oden would win out since he has more experience, post moves, and polished footwork. It still would have been great to see those 7 foot monsters battle it out.

Anyway, Saer Sene is now a hot name amongst scouts. He will need to prove what he can do against other big men in private workouts to continue his rise out of nowhere. Even with his rise, he is still a big risk.

A couple articles from DraftExpress for those that want to learn more about him:

Saer Sene--All the rage among NBA Scouts: http://draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=1263

Sene's season ends May 13th, which will give him 6 full weeks to train and conduct private NBA workouts with anyone that is willing to go up against him. N'Diaye is planning to bring him to Sacramento to work with his personal trainer, particularly to work on his footwork inside the post.

2006 Nike Hoop Summit Game Recap: http://draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=1260

15 points, 6-8 FG, 3-4 FT, 9 blocks, 6 rebounds

Sene put on an awesome display, tying Kevin Garnett’s Hoop Summit record of 9 blocks in the game. Though the official stat sheet said 9 blocks, I counted 11, and various other people we talked also counted more than 9. Three of them came on one possession, and he had a few on athletic wings. Considering that he’s only played basketball for a couple years, it is really hard to believe how good Sene’s anticipation skills are. On offense, he is quite raw, though he does have the ability to step outside and hit a 15 footer when left unguarded. Sene made one in the flow of the game, and also knocked down 3 of his 4 free throw attempts. Despite this, he lacks footwork in the post, and when trying to make a move, he just turns and puts up a hook on a prayer that it will go in. He did have one sequence where he did a drop step and ended up with a dunk, but this was the only time all week where he created for himself out of the post. Sene has good hands when catching the ball down low, and usually waits until the time is right before he goes up to dunk a ball. When rebounding, his hands didn’t seem as good, and he will have to work on using his body to get position, and anticipating the ball to catch it at the highest point in his jump.

Sene has everything physically that you could ask for in a center prospect. He stands a legit 7 feet tall, and his 230 pounds are well distributed throughout his frame. His combination of length and explosive leaping ability is jaw dropping. Sene was the talk of all of the NBA scouts in attendance during the practices, and he was even more impressive during the game, though the U.S. team didn’t have any player who could match his combination of size and athleticism. Centers with the tools he has to work with are rare, and though he is raw at this point, he is young enough as to where he can develop a respectable offensive game. Sene doesn’t receive a whole lot of minutes with is team in Belgium right now, but his game is much more suited to the NBA style of play. He told DraftExpress after the game that he is considering entering the NBA draft this year, so it will be interesting to see if he does, and where he goes if he decides to declare. It’s hard to imagine him not getting some serious looks throughout the first round. European scouts we spoke with throughout the week claim his true age is a bit of a question mark, though, as it often is with many African prospects.

 

[VF21]

You might want to check in the NBA forum.

Several members have been discussing Sene.

 

[TheRaven]

yeah, I knew others beat me to it. Just figured I would post it here as well since there is alot of talk here about big men and the draft.

 

[VF21]

I agree. Just wanted to make sure you knew others were beginning to talk about him, too...

He sounds interesting.