Modibo Niakate Class: Senior Hometown: Paris, France High School: Sacred Heart Griffin Last College: Hutchinson C.C. Height / Weight: 6-1 / 187 Position: Guard Birthdate: 03/03/1981

Modibo Niakate returns to the lineup after sitting out the 2003-04 season to concentrate on personal matters. The most explosive of the Viking perimeter performers, he brings a wide array of basketball talent to the position. He has the ability to penetrate defenses to make plays while also creating opportunities for his teammates. He is the most consistant three-point shooter on the team while also being an aggressive rebounder.

2003-04 SEASON:
• Redshirted

CLEVELAND STATE CAREER:
• Named to the Horizon League All-Newcomer team.
• Started 21 of the 26 games he played, leading the team in scoring (11.9 ppg) and three-point field goal percentage (.444).
• Led the Horizon League in three-point field goal percentage while ranking eighth in three-pointers made (48), ninth in free throw percentage (.763) and 14th in scoring.
• Scored in double figures 15 times with five 20-point efforts.
• Made at least one trey in 21 games with multiple triples in 13 contests.
• Leading rebounder among the guards (3.5 rpg), grabbing seven or more boards five times.
• Keyed Dec. 4 win at Akron with 20 points, connecting on 8-of-10 field goals.
• Followed that up with a 20-point effort vs. Maryland-Eastern Shore, making 10-of-12 free throws while grabbing a career-high 9 boards.
• Averaged 20.3 points in games against Boston University, Bowling Green and UW-Green Bay, shooting .571 from the field (16-28), .529 from three (9-17) and .769 from the line (20-26).
• Finished season strongly, averaging 16.3 points and 5.0 rebounds vs. UIC, Loyola and Butler, shooting .548 from the field (17-31) and .615 from three-point (8-13).
• Suspended for final two games for a violation of team rules.

PRE-CLEVELAND STATE CAREER:
• Two-year letterman in basketball at Hutchinson Community College, playing for coach Chad Wintz.
• Averaged 13 points a contest as a sophomore after averaging 16 points and four rebounds as a freshman.
• Scored 15 points vs. Cowley in NJCAA regional quarterfinals.
• Averaged 18 points a game as a senior at Washington Academy College in East Machias, Maine.
• Played junior campaign for coach Jim Drew at Sacred Heart Griffin High in Springfield, Ill., earning team MVP honors.
• Set a school record with a 48-point scoring outburst as a junior.
• First team all-district honoree as a junior, helping team to a 16-10 mark.

PERSONAL:
Born March 26, 1981 in Paris, France. . . son of Nienimba and Massadio Niakate. . . is the oldest of 10 children, having four brothers and six sisters. . . speaks three languages, his native French, English and Soninke. . . communications major.