Kansas University freshman Moulaye Niang’s father died earlier this week in Niang’s native Senegal.
It has been more than two years since Niang last visited Senegal, but he’ll return home for his father’s funeral after Saturday’s game against Missouri-Kansas City at Kemper Arena.
He’ll spend a week in Senegal, missing Monday’s game at Iowa State, but may be back for KU’s Jan. 11 game against Nebraska.
“We found out Tuesday afternoon,” KU coach Roy Williams said, noting Niang’s dad, a retired truck driver whose name was not available after Thursday’s 102-50 victory over UNC Asheville, was in his early 70s and died of natural causes. “It’s been a difficult time for the youngster. He’s handling it as well as can be expected.”
The Jayhawks have been supporting Niang.
“You can tell he’s pretty upset,” fellow freshman Stephen Vinson said. “His dad was very important to him. We’ve tried to hang around him a lot and cheer him up. Nick Collison led a team meeting and said if he needed anything we’d be there for him.”
Collison said the Jayhawks’ “hearts and prayers” were with Niang, who had two points and two rebounds Thursday.
“It’s as tough a thing as there is to go through,” Collison said. “He has not been home in two years. He’s not said a lot about it. It’s a situation where he knows we are there for him.”
The NCAA pays for student-athletes’ flights home for family emergencies such as this one.
“He’s been doing fine. That’d be tough for me,” Collison said. “It’s good the NCAA can arrange this. That’s a good thing the NCAA does.”
Niang’s roommate, Jeff Graves, said Niang had held up well.
“He got the message Tuesday when we were at practice,” Graves said. “There was a phone message his dad had passed. He was all choked up. He’s down emotionally. I’m trying my best to keep his spirit up.”