BREAKING: Baye Ndongo Withdraws From 2024 NBA Draft, Will Return to Georgia Tech

Jackson Caudell | May 21, 2024

Feb 24, 2024; Coral Gables, Florida, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets forward Baye Ndongo (11) shoots the basketball over Miami Hurricanes guard Wooga Poplar (5) during the first half at Watsco Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia Tech basketball received some huge news today. After declaring for the 2024 NBA Draft, but maintaining his collegiate eligibility, Georgia Tech freshman Baye Ndongo has withdrawn from the draft and will return to Atlanta to play another season under Damon Stoudamire.

Round ✌️ 🔜@BayeAbdouNdong1 🐝 pic.twitter.com/iJUaUbUbFH

— Georgia Tech Men’s Basketball (@GTMBB) May 21, 2024

This is massive news for the Yellow Jackets program. Ndongo had a great freshman season, but declared for the draft in April. Because he maintained his eligibility, he was able to go through workouts and get feedback from NBA teams and he has opted to come back for another season.

Ndongo was arguably the best player on Georgia Tech's team last season.

The 6-9 freshman missed Tech’s first three games with a hand injury but started every game thereafter either in the post or at the power forward spot, and earned a spot on the Atlantic Coast Conference All-Rookie team. The Mboro, Senegal native, who prepped at Putnam (Conn.) Science Academy, was one of only two freshmen in Division I to average 12.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game while hitting at least 55 percent of his shots from the floor. Only Chris Bosh (2003) and Derrick Favors (2010) achieved all those numbers as freshmen.

Against ACC competition, Ndongo averaged 12.6 points and 7.7 rebounds while hitting 55.4 percent of his shots from the floor and leading the team in blocked shots with 20.

Ndongo led the Jackets in scoring 10 times and in rebounding 18 times, while posting six double-doubles. He was named the ACC’s Rookie of the Week three times early in the season, once after scoring 21 points to lead Tech past No. 7 Duke in December, and again after scoring 12 points with 19 rebounds in a Dec. 16 win over Penn State at Madison Square Garden, and the third time after making the all-tournament team at the Diamond Head Classic.

Ndongo was the first Tech freshman since Josh Okogie to be voted to the All-Rookie team.

He now joins a top 15 high school recruiting class, as well as a good transfer portal class that is coming in. Stoudamire was able to land Oklahoma's Javian McCollum, Colorado's Luke O'Brien, and Georgetown's Ryan Mutombo through the portal and they will all be looking to have big impacts next season as Georgia Tech looks to take a step forward under Stoudamire in year two.

Huge news for the program today.