Charles Bassey heads to Philly following NBA draft

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The Philadelphia 76ers selected Western Kentucky University basketball player Charles Bassey in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Bassey played three collegiate seasons at WKU, averaging a double-double with 15.9 points and 10.5 rebounds over 72 career games as a Hilltopper, according to a release from the NBA

As a junior this past season, he tallied 18 double-doubles, which were the second-most in Division I. Following the 2020-21 season, Bassey was named the Conference USA Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, after posting 17.6 points, 11.6 rebounds (fifth in NCAA) and 3.1 blocks (fourth in NCAA) per contest, while shooting .590 from the field, according to the release.

He was the fourth player in C-USA history to earn POY and DPOY honors in the same season, while also earning a C-USA record seven Player of the Week awards over his career. Originally from Nigeria, Bassey moved to San Antonio in high school, where he continued his basketball career, according to the release.