Notre Dame Big Man Kebba Njie Embracing Leadership Role in Pivotal Summer
Notre Dame big man Kebba Njie has been a cornerstone of the Micah Shrewsberry era over the last two seasons.
The Ohio native followed Shrewsberry to South Bend after his freshman year at Penn State. Now entering his senior campaign, Njie is not only physically transformed, but also emerging as one of the program's key voices.
Njie credits much of the recent progress to new strength coach Jon Sanderson, whose arrival has made an immediate impact.
“It's been a great summer,” stated Njie. “I feel like there's been a lot of good things. We've been in the weight room. We've changed a lot of things. We've done a lot of things and we've been really good at it. We've been really good with practice. Everybody's been good. Individual work has been good. I'd say this summer has been the biggest summer as a team and individually as well.”
Sanderson’s influence has helped Njie trim fat and build muscle, while also adding weight to others on the roster.
“I feel like I've changed my body a lot,” Njie explained. “I've lost fat, gained more muscle. Even the other dudes, everyone has gotten a bunch more pounds on them. I think that was the biggest difference coming into the workouts in the spring and then it continued off into the summer with the freshmen and everybody. It's been great.”
When the 6-foot-10, 250-pounder steps on the floor for his senior season in November, Njie hopes to show off an expanded game, which includes a three-point shot.
“I feel like this summer I've been working a lot on just being a dog,” said Njie. “Finishing around the rim, rebounding and working on my three-point game. I feel I’m more confident and I’ve been doing the little things for my team so I can play big, stretch the floor or whatever I have to do.”
With several starters sitting out Monday’s practice, it was an opportunity for newcomers to step up, including graduate transfer Carson Towt, who immediately stood out. Njie has felt Towt’s presence firsthand all summer.
“The dog mentality,” explained Njie. “This guy, I fight him every day at practice. He's relentless. He's coming at me every single day. He always has the energy. Big energy guy. I think he's just a great glue guy that we can utilize in our team.”
Towt, who led the NCAA in rebounding last year, has impressed Njie with his leadership, but also with his work ethic, as he doesn’t take plays off.
“He's a little bit shorter, but strong,” stated Njie. “Very strong guy. He's relentless. There's nothing that he doesn't do. You can't take a break. You can't take your eye off him for one second. He's coming in on offense, on defense, to the glass and he's moving fast. He's everywhere.”
Njie’s defense presence has kept him on the floor during the last two years. There’s a sense of pride there and now he’s looking to take a leadership role with Towt.
“I think my biggest impact that I bring is with my voice,” Njie said. “I also have been trying to do a better job by leading by example, just helping guys out, helping dudes whatever they need, whether it's defensively, just picking on the little bit of details and that sort of thing.”
For Notre Dame to get back to the NCAA Tournament, the Irish need growth. It hasn’t always shown up during Shrewsberry’s first two seasons, but Njie is seeing signs of the game clicking for some of the younger players on the roster.
“I think everybody's just done a little bit of everything,” stated Njie. “All the freshmen, they've contributed in their own ways. I feel like Cole (Certa) in particular has gotten a lot better. He's very prevalent in practice with his three-point shooting. Everyone's getting better on defense as well, so that's a great thing.”
Njie tested the NBA Draft waters this spring, using the experience to gather feedback and gain clarity on where he stands with his professional aspirations.
“I think the draft process, it was pretty quiet, but it was good for me,” Njie explained. “I think it added more motivation to my story. In general, I have to be able to produce this year at a high level.
“If I could go, I was going to go, but I was really just trying to get in there, get the feedback, because that's my ultimate dream. That's my goal, and I just wanted to see what they're looking at and how I can get there as well.”
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