IBRAHIMA CHAM, THE NEW ROUGH DIAMOND OF REGGIO EMILIA
In this period close to the Serie A season opening, the Italian Super Cup was held and involved all the teams of the championship. Among the various prospects examined (Procida, Casarin, Bortolani…), a new athlete has emerged among the most interesting players of the near future in Italy – Ibrahima Cham. 2003 born native of Gambia had considerable minutes in the pre-season competition. Coach Antimo Martino gave him a lot of confidence as he was awaiting the comeback of the bigs Frank Elegar and Justin Johnson. With their return, there will be little chance of seeing the player on the court in Italy, considering that the Italian rules allow maximum 6 foreigners in the game roster and the Gambian native is not a homegrown player. However, Reggio Emilia wants to keep him around and use him in FIBA Europe Cup so there will be the opportunity to follow his progress on international scene.
BIOGRAPHY: A native of Gambia. Used to play mainly at the playground before being recruited from DBA Academy of Senegal. He stayed there for 3 years and the agent of Sigma Sports – Tomaso Comellini (the same agent who brought the 2001 prospect Gora Camara to Virtus Bologna few years ago) noticed him and started to check the progress. In the autumn of 2019, Cham moved to Reggio Emilia. Just few months after arrival, Cham played a significant role in the youth program of Reggio Emilia which made it to the final of Next Gen Cup. During the period of lockdown, he worked on his body to get ready to return on the court. This summer he had the opportunity to participate in the first team’s friendly game, and his good performance made the team add him as the 13th player. That move paid off well as Cham averaged 4.2 ppg (8/13 2p), 6.2rpg and 1.5bpg in 19.5min with a 9.3PER. in Super Cup.
PHYSICAL: 6-9 and 215 lbs. His size is certainly the most intriguing point. Ibrahim possess length, agility and a great wingspan. Has great athleticism and explosiveness to finish efficiently at the rim and run the floor. He does not have a great strength to compete against 5s, but has good coordination and body control.
TECHNIQUE: Obviously his offensive role differs between youth and professional level. Mainly he plays off the ball as a screener and roller. He is not capable of dribbling and driving from the perimeter consistently with his face to the basket. Much more effective off the ball close to the basket through a deep seal and put backs. Not much of a passer except hand off situations or back to the basket simple dishes. The shot is workable but not there yet. Much more effective from short range as of now but tries to expand it. He rarely takes initiatives on his own. His basketball IQ is yet to emerge.
DEFENSE: As far as defensive fundamentals, he’s trying to prove his rim protector potential but timing is not perfect. He takes advantage of his lengthy arms and positioning to grab rebounds, while can also close the opponents driving lanes. In individual duels, he suffers against the experience and physicality of pros in back to the basket situations (foul trouble). He already shows promising understanding of the coach’s instructions with the PnR drop defense as he covers ground and denies easy penetration for guards. Follows his instincts as defende but it’s still in premature stage.
PERSONALITY: He’s described as a discreet guy, not too talkative but always focused on training and competing. He’s not afraid to challenge experienced pros during practices or games. He’s direct in communication with his teammates. Cannot stay too long off the court. He’s a correct and disciplined guy.
The focus for his future as a basketball player is to expand his skillset on the ball and play more as a 4. Throughout this season he will do individual work with the coaches of the Reggio Emilia youth teams Andrea Menozzi and Giordano Consolini to improve his technique. Considering the discipline of the kid and the competences of these high Italian level coaches, the progress will be noticed in a short time. He has potential to follow footsteps of Paul Eboua (physicality, defensive versatility, room for development). However we will have clearer idea about his outlook and what kind of player he could become next months.
