**Hilltopper Basketball Signs Nebraska Transfer Blaise Keita**
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – WKU men’s basketball has announced the addition of University of Nebraska transfer Blaise Keita to their roster for the 2024-25 season. Keita, a native of Bamako, Republic of Mali, and a standout in junior college, joins the Hilltoppers after two seasons with the Cornhuskers in Lincoln.
Keita missed the 2023-24 season due to an injury but previously played 21 games for Nebraska during the 2022-23 season. Before his tenure at Nebraska, Keita was a top junior college prospect, having played two seasons at Coffeyville Community College. Rivals rated him as a four-star recruit, and 247Sports along with JUCORecruiting ranked him among the top five JUCO players in the 2022 signing class.
During his first season at Coffeyville, Keita was instrumental in leading the Red Ravens to a 26-3 record and an NJCAA National Championship in 2020-21. He earned accolades such as Jayhawk Conference Freshman of the Year and second-team all-region honors, averaging 10.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game. Keita shone particularly brightly during the postseason, posting 14.8 points per game on 65 percent shooting, with 7.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks. In the NJCAA title game, he recorded a career-high 27 points, along with nine rebounds and four blocks.
Keita returned to Coffeyville in 2022-23 after recovering from an injury, contributing to an 18-13 record, up from 5-8 in his absence. He averaged 12.8 points on 52 percent shooting, 9.8 rebounds per game, and recorded five double-doubles, earning Second-Team All-Jayhawk Conference honors and a spot on the all-defensive team.
Before his college career, Keita played for Sunrise Christian’s postgrad team and AAU with MOKAN Elite. He also represented Mali at the international level, competing in the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup, where he averaged a double-double with 10.2 points and 10.3 rebounds over six games.
Head coach Hank Plona praised Keita’s championship mentality, both on and off the court, expressing excitement about his addition to the Hilltopper Basketball team. “Blaise is a champion,” Plona said. “We are excited about the chance to coach Blaise, and excited about what he adds to next year’s Hilltopper Basketball team.”
Keita is the second transfer announced by Plona for the 2024 signing class, emphasizing the significant impact he is expected to have on the team. “Blaise has made a huge impact on teams winning and will be an important part of our team,” Plona added. “Hilltopper fans will love watching the joy that Blaise has playing basketball. We are excited for Blaise’s future here on The Hill.”
