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Notre Dame forward Kebba Njie enters NBA draft while maintaining college eligibility

IMG_7504by:Jack Soble•04/29/25•

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notre dame kebba njie
Notre Dame forward Kebba Njie. (Michael Clubb/South Bend Tribune/USA TODAY Network)

Notre Dame forward Kebba Njie has filed as an early entry candidate for the NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility, according to the NBA’s official release.

Njie averaged 6.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game as a junior this past season, both improving on his numbers from his sophomore year with the Fighting Irish. He transferred to Notre Dame from Penn State after his freshman season out of La Porte (Ind.) La Lumiere, following head coach Micah Shrewsberry to South Bend.

Njie, a 6-foot-10 big man, is one of two players on the early entry list with “Notre Dame” listed next to their name. The other is forward Tae Davis, who will play his final season at Oklahoma if he chooses to return to college basketball.

Njie made no announcement informing fans of his decision to file for early entry. He is likely looking for feedback from NBA evaluators on how to improve his game for his senior season.

Notre Dame guard Markus Burton did the same thing a year ago, declaring for the draft with the intention of returning to South Bend. He released a statement at the time.

“Over the past few weeks, I’ve looked for ways to better my game for my sophomore season,” Burton said April 11, 2024. “While maintaining my eligibility at Notre Dame, I will be entering my name into the NBA Draft. The valuable feedback I will receive from this experience will pay dividends on and off the court.”

Njie’s goals are likely similar, given the unlikelihood that he becomes an NBA draft pick in June. He was also seen at Notre Dame’s facility in a social media video posted by the official team account Monday afternoon, working out with his returning teammates.

The deadline for Njie to officially withdraw is 5 p.m. ET on June 15, and the draft will be held June 25-26.

If and when Njie returns to Notre Dame, he will compete for the starting center job with Northern Arizona transfer big man Carson Towt. Towt, who stands 6-foot-8, led the nation with 12.4 rebounds per game with the Lumberjacks.

Last year, Njie improved some of the areas he struggled with in his first season at Notre Dame — during which he was never healthy as he recovered from a preseason right hand injury. His field goal percentage rose from 37.4 to 55.5, and he shot 7-of-19 from three-point range (compared to 1-of-8).

However, catching the ball in the post and scoring on the Atlantic Coast Conference’s best centers were still issues for Njie. He’ll look for feedback on how to get better at those areas and more as he goes through the NBA Draft process.

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