Personal
Full Name: Saihou Jassey
Birthdate: Feb. 22, 1986
Birthplace: Banjul, Gambia
Parents: Foday and Naffie Jassey
Brothers: Lamin (29) and Assan (26)
Major: International Studies
High School Coach: Tim Fraler
2005-06 (Freshman)
? Signed during the summer
? Redshirted the 2005-06 season while nursing knee and hip injuries.
At Rose Hill Christian H.S.
? After moving to Kentucky from Maryland, Jassey was declared ineligible to play out his senior
season at Greenup County High School due to Kentucky’s transfer rules relating to foreign
exchange students.
? Ran into similar rules issues during a brief stay in Florida before returning to Kentucky, where
he graduated from Rose Hill Christian High School in Ashland.
? Despite never playing a minute of high school basketball in Kentucky, Jassey made a big
enough impression during summer pick-up games that he was invited to try out for the Bluegrass
State’s squad in the annual Kentucky-Indiana All-Star series.
? Jassey made the 13-player squad.
At Montrose Christian School
? Jassey came to the United States from his native Gambia in 2003 and attended Montrose
Christian School in the Washington D.C. suburb of Rockville, Md.
? Jassey played sparingly at Montrose Christian during his junior season.
Personal
? A native of Gambia, Jassey is a member of the Mandinka tribe, the largest of the African nation’s seven major tribes.
? Former U.S. Olympic high jumper Ousman Sallah, a native Gambian who often visits his homeland, helped make the arrangements for Jassey to move to the United States.
? Sallah originally planned to place Jassey with the family of Stephanie Bentley, a counselor at Greenup County (Ky.) High School, but because public high schools do not produce I-20 forms, Jassey ultimately landed at Montrose Christian School in Rockville, Md.
? After struggling with the social transition during his junior season, Jassey ultimately moved to Kentucky and lived with the Bentley family while attending Rose Hill Christian High School in Ashland, Ky.
In His Own Words
On his native Gambia ...
I am proud of being a native Gambian. I love my country and I love my people. They are very nice and known for their hospitality.
On pursuing his college education in the United States ...
It was one of my dreams and now I am living it, and I also have high expectations when I finish my college career.
On his relationship with the Bentley family ...
My relationship with the Bentley’s is like the best thing that has ever happened to me. They are a great family. We went through a lot of tough times together that really strengthened our relationship. They are my family.
On redshirting the 2005-06 season ...
It was a great year for me and my teammates for the things we accomplished during the season. The hard part of it was that I wasn’t able to play.
On the first time he saw snow ...
Seeing snow wasn’t very exciting to me because I don’t like snow. I prefer rain to snow. It might seem like a cool thing to other people, but not me. I wish I had never seen it.
Quick Answers
My best non-athletic talent ...
Making lots of people laugh
Superman power I would most like to have ...
Fly
If I wasn’t playing basketball, I would be ...
Playing soccer
The most impressive person I have ever met ...
Ousman Sallah (former U.S. Olympic high jumper who helped arrange Jassey’s move from Gambia to the United States)
My advice to youngsters is ...
To have a positive attitude
Five Questions
with Dave Reynolds (Peoria Journal Star beat writer)
How did you benefit from sitting out last season?
The biggest benefit is that sitting out last year now gives me an option for a fifth year in college. I also think sitting out last season allowed me to better prepare myself. I had a chance to learn what the coaches are trying to teach us and will be better prepared to contribute this year.
You’ve gained a lot of muscle in recent months. Have you noticed a difference in your game as a result?
I have gotten stronger over the past couple of months, which has helped my game in a very physical aspect. I am able to go stronger to the basket and to rebound stronger. It has helped me to just be a lot tougher, on offense and defense.
Did you encounter any wild animals growing up in Gambia?
No, because I never really left the city. Banjul is very similar to what you would expect a city in Mexico to look like. It is a real small city, surrounded by water, about the same size as Peoria. The neighborhoods were very friendly and the people socialized a lot more there than they do here.
What are your personal and team goals for this season?
To continue the unfinished business we started. We want to make the NCAA Tournament an annual thing, not every five or 10 years. I kind of have a chip on my shoulder, because people are saying that because we lost guys like Patrick (O’Bryant) and Cellus (Marcellus Sommerville) we won’t be as good this year. I want to let people know that we can get it done. We have the potential and ability to get it done.
What are some of your most difficult adjustments in coming to America?
English was one of the major difficulties I encountered when I first came to the States. I always dreamed that some day I would come to the United States to play basketball, since I was seven. There is no place like the United States. Now that I am overcoming the language barrier, things are a lot easier and I am able to achieve so much more.
