---

By David Boyce  |  Northwest Basketball at Pittsburg State  |  Saturday, Jan. 30, 2016  |  John Lance Arena  |  Pittsburg, Kan.
Women's Basketball @ 1:30 p.m.  |  Women's Live Stats  |  Men's Basketball @ 3:30 p.m.  |  Men's Live Stats  |  Live Video  |  Live Audio

MARYVILLE, Mo. - A year ago, Chris-Ebou Ndow knew he wasn't going to see one second of action for Northwest Missouri State men's basketball team. It was a redshirt season for him as he made the transition from his hometown of Stavanger, Norway.
 
The lack of court time wasn't to curb his enthusiasm for being a member of the basketball game. Just before tipoff, Ndow greeted each person at the scorer's table with a smile and a fist bump.
 
Now that he is a starter who is averaging close to 10 points per game, Ndow's pregame ritual remains intact.
 
"It came to me last year even though I redshirted and didn't play," Ndow said. "I wanted to get a pregame ritual. I never had that before. I thought it was cool to give everybody a fist bump. People told me it was really cool so I kept going with it."
 
Everything about Ndow's ritual shows an appreciation for being a student-athlete at Northwest.
 
In Norway, like most European countries, when you reach college age, you either go to school, or if you are good enough, you play your sport. You don't do both.
 
"Coming here to play basketball and get your education in the same breath is wonderful," Ndow said.
 
But sacrifices were made. Because of the expense, it isn't prudent for Ndow to hop on a plane and travel home for a few days during Christmas break or spring break. Instead, he will spend that time with teammates.
 
"His parents did a lot for him to get over here," Northwest coach Ben McCollum said. "This is his dream. He is working for it.
 
"When you meet him, he is a real conscientious kid. He is just a good kid. He had to fight to get over here. To have a great kid in this program means the world because kids that aren't don't make it. He has obviously made it. He has made a huge impact."
 
Like any newcomer, it has taken Ndow a while to get accustomed to style of play. The thing that all newcomers initially struggle with, McCollum said, is working themselves into the flow of the rest of the team.
 
"We are such a rhythm, flow, chemistry team," McCollum said.
 
Right away, Ndow knew Northwest was a team for him. McCollum said a friend of his told him about Ndow. McCollum brought him in sight unseen.
 
The physical attributes Ndow carries would help any team. He's an athletic 6-foot-6 guard/forward.
 
"He plays the three so he normally has someone who is 6-3 on him," sophomore guard Justin Pitts said. "He is tough to guard. He is a great player."
 
Added junior forward Zach Schneider, "He is really athletic. He is by far our best rebounder. He goes on the O-boards and you can't box him out. I think he is averaging seven rebounds a game."
 
When Ndow came on campus in the summer of 2014, he liked everything about his new teammates and the campus.
 
"I loved the school, I loved the players. It was an easy choice," Ndow said.
 
The next adjustment came with playing with his new teammates in games. Early on, he showed moments of great things to come. At other times, he was figuring out how his talents gelled with the system.
 
All the while, Ndow knew he was in the right place for him.
 
With each passing game, it is obvious Ndow is growing more comfortable with the offense. He enters Saturday's game at Pittsburg State coming off perhaps his best back-to-back games of the season.
 
Ndow scored 17 points in a 76-75 win over Missouri Southern Wednesday night. Last Saturday, Ndow had 12 points in a 77-55 victory over Fort Hays State.
 
"He is figuring out his role," Schneider said. "It took him a little while to buy into the system. Now that he has bought in, he is an unstoppable player when he gets going.
 
"When people are helping off him, he backdoors and gets layups. He has been a difference maker for us. He is big time for us. It is good to have him."
 
McCollum said Ndow has the physical skills to do even more.
 
"He is starting to find it and buy into who he is as a player and his strengths and weaknesses and it is starting to show on the floor," McCollum said.
 
It is all about the team concept for these Bearcats and that is what Ndow enjoys about this program.
 
"I like to look at myself as an unselfish player and this is really an unselfish program," Ndow said. "Everybody here is to win. It is about us and not individual. I love that about this team. It is one of the reasons I came here."