Gilas group stage opponents’ preview: Senegal, a.k.a. Gorgui Dieng and friends

 
All right, stop already.
 
We’ve been booted out of contention for the second round of the FIBA World Cup. But look at it this way: we’ve been the surprise of the tournament so far, right? I mean, check out the odds makers who now have to find an alternate career for creating such spreads as +22.5 against Croatia (+3), +18 against Greece (+12) and +15 against Argentina (+4). Sure they tried to rectify by bringing it down to +1.5 against Puerto Rico, but the proverbial damage had already been done.
 
Gilas has fought through adversity and has gained the respect of the international basketball community. You can wager that the competition in the upcoming Asian Games in Inchon, Korea have been busy scouting this motley crew of intrepid, undersized warriors and that powerhouses like China, Korea and Iran are now in a frenzy on how to retake that psychological edge against the Philippines. The entire scenery of Asian basketball has changed, and in a few more years the Pinoy basketball program will become a major player in the international arena; much like when Caloy Loyzaga and company first out the nation on the map in 1954.
 
But that being said, there is still unfinished business in this edition of the Worlds as Gilas next faces Senegal; the bronze medalists in the 2013 FIBA Africa championship and the 41st ranked team in the world—the only nation in the field ranked lower than the Philippines.
 
Senegal has proven that their world ranking cannot label them as the worst team in the tournament as they shocked the Puerto Ricans and upset the Croatians en route to now securing a slot in the Round of 16 and may likely avoid host country Spain in the process.
 
Unbeknownst to many, Senegal has a rich basketball heritage after making its debut in the FIBA Africa tournament in 1962. In 1968, they captured the first of their five FIBA Africa crowns and although they had not appeared in the Worlds since 2006, this present crop brandishes four cagers seeing action in the United States and only two members of their squad are not playing overseas.
 
Here’s the line-up of Gilas’ last stand:
 
4 Thierno NIANG – PG 6’1” (University of Wisconsin-USA)
5 Xane DALMEIDA – PG 6’0” (Tarbes Lourdes-France)
6 Ibrahima THOMAS – PF 6’11” (Azad University-Iran)
7 Mamadou NDOYE – PG 6’3” (Gaston Berger-Senegal)
8 Mohamet DIOP – SF 6’6” (Gaston Berger-Senegal)
9 Maleye NDOYE – SF 6’8” (Paris Levallois-France)
10 Djibril THIAM – PF 6’9” (Toyama Grouses-Japan)
11 Mouhammad FAYE – PF 6’9” (Panelefsiniakos-Greece)
12 Maurice NDOUR – SF 6’9” (University of Ohio-USA)
13 Hamady NDIAYE – C 7’0” (Delaware 87ers-USA)
14 Gorgui DIENG – C 6’11” (Minnesota Timberwolves-USA)
15 Abdou BADJI – PF 6’9” (Union Neuchatel-Switzerland)
 
Head Coach: Cheikh Sarr (Gaston Berger-Senegal)
 
They’re tall, long and hefty. The original plan was to actually naturalize an American point guard to balance the natural size of the team, but when Dalmeida opted to join the squad instead of foregoing the tournament (to rest a series of injuries before the next French season), it instantly became a true national team.
 
The Senegalese have two legitimate outside shooting threats in 6’9” forward Faye; a veteran of the Greek pro circuit, and Maleye Ndoye who also struts his stuff in the French league. Dalmeida is also an outside shooter but thrives more on the top of the key as a pull up jump shooter once his defender sags to help in the post. Of the three, Faye is the streak shooter and the prime weakside kick out option.
 
But the real star of the team is Dieng.
 
The incoming sophomore of the TWolves was a savior on so many NBA Fantasy League squads as a late pick up towards the twilight of the 2013-2014 season. Many aficionados actually credit Dieng for indirectly helping them make a late push in the fantasy realm and now Gilas will have a look at perhaps the biggest rising star of African hoops since Dikembe Motumbo in the early 1990’s. And while Mutombo entered the NBA as a heralded blue-chipper out of Georgetown University, Dieng slipped in quietly and made an impact when Minnesota was no longer in playoff contention. In short, Dieng started out as a scrub who will now be an integral part of post-Kevin Love Minnesota.
 
In the 2014 FIBA World Cup, he has just been dominant—averaging a double-double as well as being quite the defensive presence against would-be post up players. Dieng posted lines of 21 points, 14 rebounds and a block against Greece, 18/13/2 blocks against Puerto Rico and 27/8/2 against Croatia. He has only committed a total of nine fouls in that span and is shooting an eye-popping 21 of 37 from the floor for a shooting clip of 57% along with 26 or 32 from the stripe for a 75% average.
 
He’s got the length and rebounding instincts to keep crashing the boards almost unmolested and has the footwork to operate from the post against practically anyone. More bad news? He’s a good passer out the post and that has helped Senegal get a multitude of open looks from the perimeter, and if the ball happens to wind up in the hands of Faye, Maleye or even Dalmeida, it becomes hard to keep up—as the Puerto Ricans and Croats experienced.
 
As a whole, Senegal will mix it up and play physical. That’s what we saw in the pre-tournament match-up between Gilas and Angola. The referees are always busy against Senegal because of the bruising style they bring to the hard court.
 
If there is one thing the Philippines will have against this squad, it will be superior speed and quickness.
 
Don’t expect June Mar Fajardo, Marc Pingris and even Andray Blatche to get easy undergoal stabs against this defense. The biggest key to a last hoorah for Gilas is to run, run and run. That’s easier said than done if the rebounding edge goes to Senegal, but since the priority of the Philippine offense is to get three-pointers off in bunches, then a few long rebounds may go the way of the Pinoys. The biggest key for Gilas is to establish their perimeter game early—like what they did against Argentina.
 
Dieng will be the first option and a match-up against Fajardo might be the first early option and start Blatche at power forward. Gilas will still have the speed advantage in the other spots with Norwood, Chan and Tenorio (the projected starters). Senegal won’t be moving the ball as crisply as say a team like Argentina, so most of their offense will emanate from the low block.
 
If Gilas can somehow force Dieng and his relievers to throw errant passes out of the post, make them change their shots in the post and play the passing lanes like they did against Croatia, then Senegal may just be the upset we’ve been eyeing. This will be Gilas’ last game in the competition and you can bet the house that they will be going all out.
 
Gilas has proven that nothing is impossible by giving their first four opponents—including the Greeks—a run for their money before having to sweat for the victory in the end. The experience points garnered by the team will only push them to greater heights—perhaps as early as Inchon.

The Gilas-Senegal game will be shown live at 8:00 P.M. on September 4 on BTV.