basketnews.net
On Monday afternoon, Mouhammadou Jaiteh made the decision to withdraw his name from consideration within the 2013 NBA Draft. Jaiteh’s decision does not come as all that much of a shock, simply given his projection.
At 18 years of age, Jaiteh is an original native of both the Gambia and the Senegal. He has an increasing amount of upside, but he is raw and he can certainly use some more time overseas. Jaiteh has first round upside, but his talent level and potential didn’t outweigh that in terms of his potential here in 2013. The reasoning behind his decision was that he had not received a first round promise.
At 6-foot-11, it’s easy to understand Jaiteh’s upside. He spent this past season playing in the French Pro B League, where he averaged over 16 points and nearly ten rebounds per game. According to some quick reports on the matter, Jaiteh does intend to enter his name back into the field next year in 2014. However, nothing is certain, especially considering we are only just now preparing for this year’s draft.
Jaiteh began playing basketball at the age of 13, so he still has some work to do. If Jaiteh can have a nice, productive year in France, there shouldn’t be much doubt as to his decision next year. Jaiteh can work his way into the first round if he can consistently improve as he has over the past five years.
We probably haven’t heard the last of the name, Mouhammadou Jaiteh.
Follow Paul Seaver on Twitter: @PaulSeaverRS
