Sidi Gueye is changing schools again in the United States. The Senegalese center, who left Real Madrid's youth academy for the NCAA last year, has decided to close his chapter at Arizona Wildcats and join Santa Clara Broncos, a move first reported by DraftExpress.
Gueye's trajectory has been meteoric since his arrival at Real Madrid in 2021. His development in the youth categories quickly opened the doors to the club's reserve team and, later, the first team. In October 2024, he experienced one of the highlights of his development when he made his Liga Endesa debut against Bàsquet Girona. Days later, he also earned his first EuroLeague minutes against Crvena zvezda.
After that experience in European elite basketball, the center opted for college basketball and headed to Arizona to continue his development. However, his freshman season did not meet expectations in terms of playing time and consistency. He appeared in 26 games with limited minutes, averaging 3.4 minutes per game.
His most significant playing time came against BYU Cougars, a game in which he reached 10 minutes on the court. Offensively, his best performance was five points against Kansas State Wildcats. Over the course of the season, he recorded 33 points, 20 rebounds, eight blocks, five assists, and two steals.
With that context, entering the Transfer Portal seemed like the logical step. His new destination will be Santa Clara, a program with tradition in the West Coast Conference and coached by Herb Sendek. Notable players like Steve Nash, Jalen Williams, and Kurt Rambis have played for the Broncos.
The goal for Gueye now will be clear: find consistent playing time, assume responsibilities, and return to the upward trajectory he showed during his development years in Madrid.