After earning a spot on the all-tournament team at the Diamond Head Classic with three stellar performances, Georgia Tech’s Baye Ndongo was named the ACC rookie of the week for the third time this season.
It is the first time that a Yellow Jacket has won the honor as many as three times since the 2016-17 season, when Josh Okogie, currently in the NBA, did so.
Ndongo averaged 18 points and 9.3 rebounds in the tournament, helping Tech reach the championship game with wins over Massachusetts and host Hawaii. He ranked No. 5 in the tournament in scoring average, No. 2 in rebound average and No. 1 in field-goal percentage. The 6-foot-9 forward missed only four shot attempts in the event, connecting on 23 of 26 shots from the floor and 8 of 9 shots from the free-throw line.
Ndongo added three blocked shots and two steals.
Starting with a solid 12-point, eight-rebound performance in Tech’s 73-70 comeback win over UMass in which he made all six of his field-goal attempts, Ndongo followed that with his second double-double of the season with 22 points and 12 rebounds in the Jackets’ 73-68 semifinal win over the Rainbow Warriors. Ndongo scored 20 points with eight rebounds in Tech’s 72-64 championship game loss to Nevada.
A native of Mboro, Senegal, Ndongo is Tech’s leading rebounder this season and ranks in the top 10 of the ACC, at 9.1 per game. Ndongo is the Jackets’ second-leading scorer, at 11.9 points per game.
Tech and Ndongo return to action Jan. 3 at Florida State.
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