MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head coach Bruce Weber announced the signing of graduate transfer Mawdo Sallah (Latri Kunda, Gambia/Mount St. Mary’s) to a financial aid agreement on Tuesday.
A 6-foot-9, 235-pound forward, Sallah spent the past three seasons (2014-17) at Mount St. Mary’s in Emmitsburg, Maryland, where he helped the Mountaineers to both the Northeast Conference regular-season and tournament championships and an NCAA Tournament appearance as a redshirt sophomore in 2016-17.
Sallah will be immediately eligible once he competes his undergraduate degree from Mount St. Mary’s in late July and will have two years of eligibility remaining when he starts at K-State later this summer.
“We are excited to not only get a quality player like Mawdo at this late of a date, but also a terrific student-athlete who will graduate in three years from Mount St. Mary’s,” said Weber. “Obviously at 6-foot-9, 235 pounds, he fills an immediate need for us in the post, while also bringing Division I experience having played at such a successful mid-major program. His upside is terrific, as he has only been playing basketball for the last five or six years, including just two in college. He also brings great maturity and strong leadership abilities. He is driven to be successful not only on the court, but also in the classroom.”
Playing for head coach Jamion Christian, Sallah saw action in 51 games in his Mount St. Mary’s career from 2014-17, including 38 starts, averaging 4.5 points on 52.5 percent shooting (99-of-188) with 4.1 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 16.2 minutes per game. He played in 15 games with 3 starts as a true freshman in 2014-15 before redshirting his sophomore season in 2015-16 due to injury.
A majority of Sallah’s experience at Mount St. Mary’s came as a redshirt sophomore in 2016-17, in which, he played in all 36 games with 35 starts for a Mountaineer squad that won 20 games and captured both the Northeast Conference regular-season and tournament championships en route to advancing to the NCAA Tournament. The Mountaineers defeated New Orleans, 67-66, in the First Four on March 14 in Dayton, Ohio, before losing to top-seeded Villanova, 76-56, in the NCAA First Round on March 16 in Buffalo, New York.
As a redshirt sophomore, Sallah averaged 6.1 points on 52.7 percent shooting (99-of-188) with 5.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 20.2 minutes per game. He ranked second on the team in rebounding and blocked shots, while was third in field goal percentage. His statistics were even better in Northeast Conference play, where he helped the Mountaineers post a 14-4 mark in league action while averaging 7.6 points on 58.1 percent shooting (61-of-105) with 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game in starting 17 of 18 contests.
Sallah scored in double figures in 10 games, including a season-high of 14 points at Wagner on February 16 and 13 against Saint Francis on January 14. He also registered at least 6 rebounds in 16 contests, including double-digits efforts at Iowa State (14), UT-Arlington (11) and UMBC (15). He collected his first career double-double against UMBC on December 7, posting 10 points to go with a career-best 15 rebounds. He had 3 or more blocks in six games, including a career-best 6 at Loyola (Md.) on December 3 and Central Connecticut on February 4.
Sallah saw limited action as a true freshman in 2014-15, averaging 0.7 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 6.6 minutes per game. He scored in four contests, including a season-high 4 points at Notre Dame on December 9, 2014 to go with season-bests in rebounds (5) and blocked shots (4) in 20 minutes of action.
Prior to enrolling at Mount St. Mary’s, Sallah spent a postgraduate season at Fishburne Military Academy in Waynesboro, Virginia, where he helped the Caissons to a 25-7 overall record under head coach Ed Huckaby, Jr., in 2013-14. He prepped at Broadfording Christian Academy in Hagerstown, Maryland, where he led the team to a 29-8 record as a senior in 2012-13 under the direction of head coach Burnie Clutz. He averaged 18.0 points, 14.8 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game en route to earning All-Waynesboro Herald-Mail honors. He averaged 15.7 points, 14.6 rebounds and 5.8 blocks per game as a junior in 2011-12.
Sallah was born in Gambia before moving to the United States at a young age.
Sallah is the sixth member of the 2017 Signing Class, joining the Fall Class of Mike McGuirl (Ellington, Conn./East Catholic), Nigel Shadd (Mesa, Ariz./Tri-City Christian) and Levi Stockard III (St. Louis, Mo./Vashon) and the Spring additions of Makol Mawien (West Valley City, Utah/New Mexico Junior College) and Amaad Wainright (Kansas City, Mo./Trinity Valley Community College). The Wildcats also added junior transfer Patrick Muldoon (Basehor, Kan./Eastern Illinois) as a walk-on, but he must sit out the 2017-18 season due to NCAA regulations.
K-State returns eight lettermen, including four players with starting experience, highlighted by juniors Barry Brown, Kamau Stokes and Dean Wade, who started all 35 games a season ago for a team that won 21 games and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for third time in five seasons under head coach Bruce Weber.
Mawdo Sallah (MOW-doe SAL-luh)
6-9 // 235 // F
Latri Kunda, Gambia
High School: Broadfording Christian Academy (coached by Burnie Clutz)
Postgraduate Program: Fishburne [Va.] Military School (coached by Ed Huckaby, Jr.)
University: Mount St. Mary’s (coached by Jamion Christian)
Primary Recruiter: Chester Frazier
Bio:
- A graduate transfer from Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Md., where he played the last three seasons (2014-17) for head coach Jamion Christian.
- Saw action in 51 games with 38 starts during his time at Mount St. Mary’s… Averaged 4.5 points on 52.5 percent shooting (104-of-198) with 4.1 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 16.2 minutes per game in his career.
- Helped the Mountaineers capture both the Northeast Conference regular-season and tournament championships and earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament as a redshirt sophomore in 2016-17.
- Averaged 6.1 points on 52.7 percent shooting (99-of-188) with 5.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 20.2 minutes per game in 2016-17… Played in all 36 games with 35 starts.
- Ranked second on the team in rebounding and blocked shots, while was third in field goal percentage.
- Averaged 7.6 points on 58.1 percent shooting (61-of-105) in Northeast Conference play with 5.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game… Played in all 18 games with 17 starts.
- Scored in double figures 10 times, including a career-best 14 points at Wagner (2/16/17) on 6-of-13 shooting… Also posted double digits with 13 vs. Saint Francis (1/14/17) and 12 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson (2/18/17) and Robert Morris (3/4/17).
- Grabbed 6 or more rebounds on 16 occasions, including double-digit efforts at Iowa State (14; 11/14/16), UT-Arlington (11; 11/23/16) and UMBC (15; 12/7/16)… Earned his first career double-double with 10 points and career-best 15 rebounds at UMBC.
- Produced at least 3 blocked shots in 6 games with a career-best 6 at Loyola (12/3/16) and Central Connecticut (2/4/17).
- Did not play the 2015-16 season due to injury.
- Played in 15 games with 3 starts as a true freshman in 2014-15… Averaged 0.7 points on 50 percent shooting with 1.2 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in 6.6 minutes per game.
- Spent a postgraduate season (2013-14) at Fishburne Military Academy in Waynesboro, Va., where he helped the Caissons to a 25-7 overall record playing for head coach Ed Huckaby, Jr.
- Prepped at Broadfording Christian Academy in Hagerstown, Md., playing for head coach Burnie Clutz… Averaged 18.0 points, 14.8 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game in guiding the team to a 29-8 record as a senior in 2012-13… Earned All-Waynesboro Herald-Mail honors… Averaged 15.7 points, 14.6 rebounds and 5.8 blocks per game as a junior in 2011-12.
Mount St. Mary’s Head Coach Jamion Christian:
“Mawdo is still reaching his potential. He has only played basketball for five or six years, so his best is ahead of him. He’s more versatile than people think but tremendous in the ball screen and roll game. He has a 7-foot-3 reach so he will be able to block shots and protect the rim. I believed he would have been a potential all-league player here someday. He is a tremendously hard worker. He’s known as a leader who empowers others around him to be at their best.”
