Moussa Cissé

Cissé was born in Conakry, Guinea, and lived there until age 14, when he moved to New York.{{cite web |last1=Varlas |first1=John |title=When it comes to Lausanne's Moussa Cisse, seeing is believing |url=https://dailymemphian.com/section/sports/article/9560/when-it-comes-to-lausannes-moussa-cisse-seeing-is |website=The Daily Memphian |access-date=27 May 2020 |date=19 December 2019}} He had grown up playing soccer.{{cite web |last1=Givony |first1=Jonathan |title=Touted basketball recruit Moussa Cisse reclassifying to 2020 class |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/29229093/touted-recruit-moussa-cisse-reclassifying-2020-class |publisher=ESPN |access-date=27 May 2020 |date=27 May 2020}} Cissé started playing high school basketball for St. Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark, New Jersey, playing alongside Precious Achiuwa.{{cite web |last1=Munz |first1=Jason |title=Five-star Moussa Cisse commits to Memphis basketball, bolstering Penny Hardaway's frontcourt |url=https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/sports/high-school/2020/07/15/moussa-cisse-commits-memphis-basketball-penny-hardaway/5274634002/ |website=The Commercial Appeal |access-date=15 July 2020 |date=15 July 2020}} For two years, he played for Christ the King Regional High School in Queens, where he was teammates with Kofi Cockburn.{{cite web |last1=Cordova |first1=David |title=Christ the King Stakes Their Royal Claim Around The City |url=https://davesjoint.net/2018/01/21/christ-the-king-stakes-their-royal-claim-around-the-city/ |publisher=Dave's Joint |access-date=27 May 2020 |date=21 January 2018}} As a sophomore, Cissé led his team to the Class AA state title game.{{cite web |last1=Thompson |first1=Khari |title=Moussa Cisse's dominant second half leads Lausanne to Division II-A state title |url=https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/sports/high-school/2020/03/07/high-school-basketball-moussa-cisse-leads-lauasanne-tssaa-state-ttile/4928276002/ |website=The Commercial Appeal |access-date=27 May 2020 |date=7 March 2020}}

For his junior season, he transferred to Lausanne Collegiate School in Memphis, Tennessee.{{cite web |last1=Thompson |first1=Khari |title=High school basketball: 5-star forward Moussa Cisse transferring to Lausanne |url=https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/sports/high-school/2019/08/14/moussa-cisse-transferring-memphis-lausanne/2011427001/ |website=The Commercial Appeal |access-date=27 May 2020 |date=August 14, 2019}} On 25 November 2019, Cissé recorded 31 points, 22 rebounds and 21 blocks, surpassing the Shelby County single-game blocks record held by Mitch Omar since 1976–77. He led Lausanne to the Division II-A state championship, where he was named most valuable player after posting 15 points, 10 rebounds and nine blocks against First Assembly Christian School. As a junior, Cissé averaged 18.4 points, 15.3 rebounds and 9.2 blocks per game, earning Division II-A Tennessee Mr. Basketball honors. He broke Michael Wilson's single-season city record for blocks per game set in 1989–90.

Cissé was a consensus five-star recruit, according to major recruiting services, and was considered a top 10 player in the 2021 recruiting class.{{cite web |last1=Benjamin |first1=Daniel |title=NCAA Basketball: Top 10 prospect Moussa Cisse considering reclassifing, down to 10 |url=https://bustingbrackets.com/2020/04/17/ncaa-basketball-top-10-prospect-moussa-cisse-considering-reclassifing-10/ |publisher=Busting Brackets |access-date=27 May 2020 |date=17 April 2020}} On 27 May 2020, he announced that he would graduate from high school a year early and reclassify to the 2020 class, where he remained a five-star recruit. On 15 July, Cissé committed to play college basketball for Memphis. He was drawn to the program by head coach Penny Hardaway and former high school teammate Precious Achiuwa, who had played for Memphis in the previous season.{{cite web |last1=Givony |first1=Jonathan |title=No. 24-rated prospect Moussa Cisse commits to Memphis basketball |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/29468237/no-24-rated-prospect-moussa-cisse-commits-memphis-basketball |publisher=ESPN |access-date=15 July 2020 |date=15 July 2020}}

{{College athlete recruit start|40=no|collapse=no|year=2020}}

{{College athlete recruit entry

| recruit = Moussa Cissé

| position = C

| hometown = Conakry, Guinea

| highschool = Lausanne Collegiate School (TN)

| feet = 6

| inches = 10

| weight = 220

| 40 =

| commitdate = 15 July 2020

| scout stars =

| rivals stars = 5

| 247 stars = 5

| espn stars = 5

| espn grade = 92

}}

{{College athlete recruit end

| 40 =

| year = 2020

| rivals ref title = Memphis 2020 Basketball Commitments

| scout ref title =

| espn ref title = 2020 Memphis Tigers Recruiting Class

| rivals school = memphis

| scout s =

| espn schoolid = 235

| scout overall =

| rivals overall = 14

| 247 overall = 12

| espn overall = 24

| accessdate = 7 August 2020

| bball = yes

}}

At Memphis, Cissé posted his first double-double on December 2, 2020, scoring 14 points and securing 10 rebounds in an 83–54 victory over Arkansas State.{{cite news |title=Nolley II carries Memphis over Arkansas St. 83–54 |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/recap?gameId=401258889 |access-date=July 18, 2021 |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=December 2, 2020}} In his freshman year, he averaged 6.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game, earning American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year honors.

On April 6, 2021, Cissé declared for the 2021 NBA draft while maintaining his college eligibility.{{cite news |last1=Fowler |first1=Christian |title=Moussa Cisse declares for 2021 NBA Draft, maintains NCAA eligibility |url=https://247sports.com/college/memphis/Article/Moussa-Cisse-declares-for-2021-NBA-Draft-maintains-NCAA-eligibility-163488931/ |access-date=July 19, 2021 |work=247Sports |date=April 6, 2021}} He later withdrew from the draft and entered the transfer portal. On July 15, 2021, he transferred to Oklahoma State, choosing the Cowboys over Florida State, Georgia and Kentucky.{{cite news |last1=Givony |first1=Jonathan |title=Moussa Cisse transferring to Oklahoma State after one season of Memphis basketball |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/31822004/moussa-cisse-transferring-oklahoma-state-one-year-memphis |access-date=July 18, 2021 |work=ESPN |date=July 15, 2021}}

In his sophomore year, Cissé was named Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Year, alongside Baylor’s Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua and West Virginia’s Gabe Osabuohien.{{cite news |last1=Lederman |first1=Eli |title=Cisse named Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Year; OSU's Anderson, OU's Noland earn conference honors |url=https://tulsaworld.com/sports/college/osu/cisse-named-big-12-co-defensive-player-of-the-year-osus-anderson-ous-noland-earn/article_c3f2526c-9dc2-11ec-9baf-b32786c8a172.html |access-date=March 11, 2022 |work=Tulsa World |date=March 6, 2022}} He averaged 7.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.{{cite news |last1=Unruh |first1=Jacob |title=Oklahoma State star center Moussa Cisse announces return for 2022-23 season |url=https://www.oklahoman.com/story/sports/college/cowboys/2022/03/11/moussa-cisse-oklahoma-state-basketball-return-next-season-cowboys/7006147001/ |access-date=March 6, 2023 |work=The Oklahoman |date=March 11, 2022}} As a junior, he was named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team.{{cite news |last1=Nagel |first1=Cody |title=Oklahoma State forwards Kalib Boone, Moussa Cisse earn All-Big 12 honors |url=https://247sports.com/college/oklahoma-state/Article/oklahoma-state-basketball-forwards-kalib-boone-moussa-cisse-earn-all-big-12-honors-205811507/ |access-date=March 6, 2023 |work=247 Sports |date=March 5, 2023}}

After the 2022-23 season Cissé entered the transfer portal for a second time, later committing to play for Ole Miss over offers from UCLA and Cincinnati.{{Cite web |date=2023-05-14 |title=Center Cisse commits to transfer to Ole Miss |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/37647745/center-moussa-cisse-commits-transfer-ole-miss |access-date=2023-08-13 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}

{{NBA player statistics legend}}

{{NBA player statistics start}}

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| 2020–21

| style="text-align:left;"| Memphis

| 28 || 28 || 18.6 || .552 || .000 || .324 || 6.3 || .5 || .3 || 1.6 || 6.6

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| 2021–22

| style="text-align:left;"| Oklahoma State

| 29 || 26 || 20.0 || .559 || – || .562 || 6.5 || .3 || .4 || 1.3 || 7.2

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| 2022–23

| style="text-align:left;"| Oklahoma State

| 32 || 20 || 22.6 || .582 || – || .410 || 8.0 || .6 || .3 || 1.2 || 6.8

|-

| style="text-align:left;"| 2023–24

| style="text-align:left;"| Ole Miss

| 26 || 17 || 17.6 || .558 || .000 || .263 || 4.6 || .3 || .7 || 1.4 || 4.5

|- class="sortbottom"

| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career

| 115 || 91 || 19.8 || .564 || .000 || .415 || 6.5 || .4 || .4 || 1.7 || 6.3

{{S-end}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://gotigersgo.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/moussa-cisse/9397 Memphis Tigers bio]
• [https://okstate.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/moussa-cisse/9854 Oklahoma State Cowboys bio]
• [https://olemisssports.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/moussa-cisse/4692 Ole Miss Rebels bio]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cisse, Moussa}}

Category:2002 births

Category:Living people

Category:21st-century Guinean sportsmen

Category:Centers (basketball)

Category:Guinean expatriate basketball people in the United States

Category:Guinean men's basketball players

Category:Lausanne Collegiate School alumni

Category:Memphis Tigers men's basketball players

Category:Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball players

Category:Ole Miss Rebels men's basketball players

Category:Sportspeople from Conakry

Category:St. Benedict's Preparatory School alumni