Western Kentucky University men’s basketball has announced the signing of Nebraska transfer Blaise Keita. The Bamako, Republic of Mali native and former junior college standout will join the Hilltoppers’ roster for the 2024-25 season after spending two years with the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Keita, who missed the 2023-24 season due to injury, previously competed in 21 games for Nebraska during the 2022-23 season. Before his stint at Nebraska, Keita played two seasons at Coffeyville Community College (CC), where he was recognized as one of the nation’s top junior college (JUCO) prospects. He was a four-star recruit according to Rivals and ranked among the top five JUCO players by 247Sports and JUCORecruiting.
In his first season with Coffeyville, Keita played a crucial role in leading the Red Ravens to a 26-3 overall record and an NJCAA National Championship in 2020-21. He earned the title of Jayhawk Conference Freshman of the Year and received second-team all-region honors, averaging 10.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game.
During Coffeyville’s postseason run in 2020-21, Keita elevated his performance, posting 14.8 points per game on 65% shooting, along with 7.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks. In the NJCAA title game, he recorded a career-high 27 points on 13-of-16 shooting, adding nine rebounds and four blocks.
After recovering from injury, Keita returned in 2022-23 to help Coffeyville achieve an 18-13 record, improving from a 5-8 start. He averaged 12.8 points on 52% shooting, 9.8 rebounds per game, and notched five double-doubles, earning Second-Team All-Jayhawk Conference honors and a spot on the conference’s all-defensive team.
Keita’s basketball journey also includes playing for Sunrise Christian (Kan.) on the school’s postgrad team and AAU with MOKAN Elite. Internationally, he represented Mali at the 2017 FIBA U19 World Cup, averaging a double-double with 10.2 points and 10.3 rebounds over six games.
“Blaise is a champion,” head coach Hank Plona said. “He’s a champion on the court, off the court, and will continue to be a champion in his future. We are excited about the chance to coach Blaise and what he adds to next year’s Hilltopper Basketball team.”
Keita is the second transfer signee announced by Plona for WKU’s 2024 signing class.
“Blaise has made a huge impact on teams winning and will be an important part of our team,” Plona added. “It’s going to be awesome seeing him back on the court having fun, and Hilltopper fans will love watching the joy that Blaise has playing basketball. We are excited for Blaise’s future here on The Hill.”
