PULLMAN, Wash. -- With the 39th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Hornets selected Washington State men's basketball standout, Mouhamed Gueye. The 6-11 forward from Dakar, Senegal becomes the second underclassman in Cougar basketball history to be selected in the NBA Draft and the first WSU player to be drafted into the NBA since CJ Elleby was picked No. 46 overall by the Portland Trailblazers in 2020.

The Cougars' star forward finished his sophomore season with a First Team All-Pac-12 award and an NABC District 19 Second Team All-Region honor after finishing inside the top-10 in the conference in rebounding (fourth; 8.4 rpg) and scoring (ninth; 14.3 ppg). Gueye was the Pac-12's leader in double-doubles last season, having amassed 15 total double-doubles for the Cougars during the 2022-23 campaign. Gueye's 15 double-doubles collected last season also ranks as the sixth-most in a single season in WSU history. He scored 472 points this past season, which ranks as the seventh-most points scored by a WSU sophomore in school history. Additionally, Gueye's 276 rebounds pulled in 2022-23 are the third-most by a Washington State sophomore in program history. He scored a career-high 31 points at Southern California back on Feb. 2 of this season and pulled down a career-best 18 rebounds against UCLA in Beasley Coliseum on Dec. 30, 2022.

The 6-11 post player ends his two-year career at WSU, scoring 730 points and pulling down 457 career rebounds in 68 career games.  He averaged 10.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game during his two seasons on the Palouse and collected 18 total double-doubles as a Cougar. During his time with Washington State, Gueye guided the Cougars to back-to-back NIT berths, where he helped WSU reach the semifinals as a freshman during the 2021-22 campaign.

Gueye becomes the second Cougar to be drafted into the NBA under Head Coach Kyle Smith, joining CJ Elleby who was drafted 46th overall by the Portland Trailblazers in the 2020 NBA Draft. Gueye is the ninth Coug to be drafted inside the top 40, as he becomes Washington State's highest NBA draft pick since four-time NBA Champion Klay Thompson was selected No. 11 overall by the Golden State Warriors in the 2011 NBA Draft. Overall, Gueye is the 17th player from Washington State to be selected as a top-60 pick at an NBA Draft.