Senegal’s Khadim Rassoul Mboup, a 6’7″ shooting guard from NBA Academy Africa, committed to the BYU Cougars this offseason. His journey took a different path from his birthday twin, Khaman Maluach, who joined Duke.

Mboup and Maluach, born on the same day, developed alongside each other at the NBA Academy in Senegal and both participated in the Basketball Africa League’s (BAL) Elevate program before heading to the U.S. college basketball scene.

Mboup played three seasons in the BAL Elevate program, which places Africa’s top academy talent with professional teams. In 2023, Ulrich Chomche, another BAL Elevate alum, became the first to make the NBA, drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies and later traded to the Toronto Raptors.

Mboup made his BAL debut in April 2022 with Egypt’s Zamalek, coached by now-BYU assistant Will Voigt, and played against Maluach, who was with South Sudan’s Cobra Sport at the time. Both players impressed, but Mboup’s path was altered by a thigh injury, which sidelined him for the 2023 season after he was picked up by Nigeria’s Kwara Falcons.

Reflecting on his injury, Mboup told ESPN: “I didn’t play that year because of a thigh contusion. It impacted my career and set me back, but I’m working to regain my rhythm.”

In 2024, Mboup returned to the BAL with Senegal’s AS Douanes, driven by his dream of reaching the NBA. “Like everyone, I want to make it to the league, but I’m focusing on finding a strong college program first,” he said before committing to BYU.

While his playing time with Douanes was limited, Mboup’s performances with NBA Academy Africa in the BAL qualifiers showcased his skills, as he averaged 7.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game against teams like Kenya Ports Authority, Burundi’s Urunani, and Cape Town Tigers. Voigt, observing his progress, took the opportunity to recruit him for BYU when the timing was right.

Voigt shared with ESPN, “I recruited Khadim to BYU after joining. He showed great defensive skills and quiet confidence as a young player with Zamalek. I stayed in touch with him, and it’s amazing to reunite at BYU. Khadim is a strong athlete with a positive attitude and a great work ethic.”

Mboup draws inspiration from LeBron James, admiring his athleticism and overall style on and off the court.

BYU, a #6 seed in the 2024 NCAA tournament, was eliminated by #11 seed Duquesne in the first round. Following this, head coach Mark Pope left for Kentucky and was replaced by former Phoenix Suns associate head coach Kevin Young.