How the Brooklyn basketball scene shaped Xavier transfer Abou Ousmane

Xavier senior forward Abou Ousmane is comfortable so far living in Cincinnati, saying that it reminds him a lot of Denton, Texas.

If Ousmane brings the same production to Xavier that he had in Denton while at North Texas University, the Musketeers are in business. Ousmane was a double-digit scorer for the Mean Green in each of the last two seasons, averaging 10.7 points and six rebounds over 66 games. Ousmane entered the transfer portal after last season and committed to Xavier in April.

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“I wanted to win,” Ousmane said of his decision to join the Musketeers. “I knew Xavier had a Sweet 16 run last year and a great coaching staff with coach (Sean) Miller. What he did for his big men in the past, I knew with my development, this is what I needed offensively. I needed a coach like him to steer me in the right direction.”

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The Mecca of Basketball

Ousmane’s development traces back to Brooklyn, New York. Growing up with 10 siblings proved hectic at times, but the basketball scene right outside his window was one of the best in the world.

“It’s just like what you hear about it. It’s the mecca of basketball (in New York). To us, basketball is like a religion the way we speak about it and the way we carry ourselves on the basketball court,” Ousmane said. “Everyone is competitive. Nobody likes to lose. It really gave me the foundation for my competitive spirit.”

Regarding New York, the Frank Sinatra lyric reads, “If I can make it there, I can make it anywhere.” That translates to the basketball court, too. Ousmane had competitive drive, then came confidence when he attended Paul Robeson High School in Brooklyn when head coach Todd Myles, one of the last Division I players to come from the school, preached potential.

“He was telling me every day, ‘if you keep working, you can make it. You can make something out of it,'” Ousmane said. “He gave me that confidence. It confirmed the thoughts I had in my head. You feel like you’re doing the right things, but when you have somebody who knows what he knew, it’s like it’s time to keep going.”

No sleep till Brooklyn

The same Brooklyn basketball scene that fueled his basketball dreams helped turned Ousmane into a productive big man. On Nov. 20, 2020, Ousmane scored 10 points in his first collegiate game, a 116-62 North Texas victory over Mississippi Valley State. For the year, he averaged 2.9 points per game over 26 games off the bench.

When he returned to New York after the season, there weren’t many places to get work in because of the pandemic. He took his sessions to the public courts in Brooklyn, video-taping his workouts and sending to coaches. By the end of the summer, he dropped 30 pounds and was in the best shape of his life.

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“I wanted to get…