After five months of a grueling spring and summer circuit grind, Baye Fall knows he can’t prolong the inevitable anymore.
Thirty-plus offers extended, and one of the most sought-after prospects in the country is set to start the painstaking process of cutting his massive list of college suitors to “around five or six.”
“It’s gonna be tough,” Fall says. “But I’ll just have to do what’s best for me, so I’m just hoping that coaches understand. It will be easier to cut it down with some schools because they’ve just gone silent with me.”
Fall has already taken visits to Seton Hall, Arkansas and Auburn; he’ll visit Rutgers in early September and Texas on Sept. 10.
While he’s not set on the entire list, Fall is clear that Auburn, Arkansas, Seton Hall and Colorado “will make the cut.”
“I’ve got great relationships with all of those schools, so they’ll definitely be there,” Fall says. “Then I’ll add to that. I always remember it’s a blessing to be in this position.”
Fall, a native of Senegal, arrived in the U.S. in early February 2019, as a raw and lanky prospect with massive upside.
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His ascension was steady as his skill set caught up to his full-throttle motor on both ends of the floor.
“I surprised myself with how much I’ve grown in so many different ways, not just in basketball,” Fall says. “I’m a completely different player now than when I came three years ago, but I feel like this is home now too.”
Fall wasn’t completely in the dark in transitioning from his native language of French to English once he made the move, and he used hip-hop to get a jump-start on the lingo.
“Back home I listened to a lot of rap, like Travis Scott, Meek Mill and Future,” Fall says. “I listened to a little country music, too. I won’t tell you which country song I like, but it helped me out. Back home I really only knew about Kentucky and Duke, so when I got here, I wanted to go to those schools. Then I learned about the other schools and I loved them. Just learning the different cultures over here made adapting easier and easier over the years.”
The progression continued this summer with Fall turning in his most productive run since coming to the states, averaging 18 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks a game for the Colorado Hawks in the grueling Adidas 3SSB circuit.
“I love going against the best players in the Adidas 3SSB,” Fall says. “Every game is tough, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. That’s where you really get to see where your game is at.”
The duels created a mutual respect between Fall and his peers that have in turn produced thoughts of combining forces at the next level.
“I talk to these guys about playing together sometime,” Fall says. “Guys like Aden Holloway and Layden Blocker. My cousin Assane Diop and I have talked about playing together, too. We’ll see how it goes though. The best part for me is that I talk to my family all the time back in Senegal and they’re really proud of me, and all of the people back in Senegal are behind me.
“That means a lot to me. I want to have a decision sometime during the first semester. I don’t really know when, but I know it’s time for me to start taking these steps.”
