KIGALI, Rwanda — Louisville Cardinals have signed Senegalese power forward Mouhamed Camara, currently playing in the Basketball Africa League, ahead of the 2025/26 NCAA basketball season.
Camara, who is playing for South African side Made By Ball (MBB) in the continental tournament currently in Kigali, told ESPN that he chose the Cardinals ahead of other offers because of his admiration for coach Pat Kelsey.
The 6-foot-8 said that Kelsey’s winning mentality convinced him to commit to the Cardinals despite having visited UCF in March.
“The coach (Kelsey) is great – the coach is a winner – and it’s a great program, so me going there is a great opportunity,” the 20-year-old told ESPN in the mixed zone after MBB beat Nairobi City Thunder on Tuesday.
Camara attended SEED Academy in Senegal before shining at the 2023 Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa camp in Johannesburg and claiming the Defensive MVP award. Off the back of that, he started playing for the NBA Academy Africa in Saly – also in his home country.
“Basketball Without Borders changed everything, because I went there and I was the Defensive MVP… It was not easy, but I made it [to Louisville],” Camara told ESPN.
He has attracted interest for his solid performances for the academy, which allows its best talents to participate in the BAL alongside professionals through the BAL Elevate Program.
Camara has had limited game time in the last two seasons, but has made his minutes count and also shone in the NBA Academy’s games – drawing interest from colleges and leaving him with a decision to make.
Ultimately, he was swayed by the presence of Kelsey – a four-time Big South regular season winner as coach of Winthrop and three-time tournament champion. After nine years at Winthrop, he had three at Charleston before taking the Louisville head coaching job in 2024.
From a young age, Camara has possessed a natural eye for the defensive side of the game. However, he credited the NBA Academy Africa under technical director Roland Houston for improving his offensive skills.
He said: “[At the NBA Academy], I improved [my knowledge of] how to play a lot – how to shoot the ball, how to pass – details. When you’re at the academy, they teach you how to do things the right way.”
The 20-year-old’s immediate focus is to qualify for the playoffs of the BAL with MBB, who are coached by 1986 NBA champion Sam Vincent.
He missed out last year, having initially played for Burundi Dynamo BBC until they effectively forfeited their position through their refusal to wear the “Visit Rwanda” logo amid diplomatic tensions between Rwanda and Burundi.
Camara was then moved to Rwanda’s Armée Patriotique Rwandaise (APR), where he replaced Ulrich Chomche – who flew early to the US ahead of the NBA Draft, where he was ultimately selected by the Toronto Raptors. However, APR were eliminated in the Sahara Conference.
MBB lost 103-81 to Camara’s former side on Sunday and will play them next on Thursday.
