Tacko Fall: From UCF Standout to Global Basketball Player

El Hadji Tacko Sereigne Diop Fall, born on December 10, 1995, is a Senegalese professional basketball player whose journey has taken him from Dakar to the United States and beyond. Known for his towering height and impressive reach, Fall has captivated fans and carved out a unique career path in the world of basketball.

Early Life and Move to the United States

Fall was born and raised in Dakar, Senegal. In 2011, at the age of 15, he was discovered by Senegalese basketball coach Ibrahima N'Diaye, the brother of former NBA player Mamadou N'Diaye, who had heard about an exceptionally tall teenager playing street basketball. N'Diaye persuaded Fall's mother, Marianne Diop Sene, to allow Fall to attend his basketball academy. Already standing at 7 ft 3 in (2.21 m), Fall's potential was undeniable.

At 16, Fall moved to the United States. Due to his height and reach, he quickly became one of the most highly scouted high-school basketball centers in the nation.

High School Career

Fall's high school career began at Jamie's House Charter School in Houston, where his team won the state championship. He further honed his skills with the ISTI all-stars summer travel team and Each 1 Teach 1 on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL) circuit, playing alongside future NBA players Antonio Blakeney and Ben Simmons. He also participated in several NCAA-certified events, including the NBPA Top 100 Camp in Virginia.

He then attended Liberty Christian Preparatory School in Tavares, Florida. As a senior in 2015, Fall averaged 20 points, 15 rebounds, and 5.1 blocks per game. Rated as a four-star and three-star recruit in the 2015 high-school class, with nearly 40 different schools expressing interest in him, Fall committed to the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, officially signing on October 28, 2014.

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College Career at UCF

Fall played college basketball at the University of Central Florida (UCF) for the Knights as a center. By his sophomore year, after N'Diaye declared for the 2016 NBA draft, Fall became the tallest player in college basketball. Fall grew to be an efficient player, ranking second nationally in field-goal percentage as of January 2017. On 5 April 2017, Fall declared for the 2017 NBA draft, with the possibility of returning to Central Florida still available to him before the end of the draft lottery that year. On 24 May 2017, Fall withdrew his name from consideration for the NBA draft, to return to UCF for his junior year. During his junior year, Fall injured his shoulder, causing him to play in only 16 games, totaling 351 minutes. Coming into his senior season, Fall was named to the Preseason Second Team All-AAC.

College Statistics

Season	School	Games	MPG	FG%	FT%	RPG	APG	BPG	PPG
2015-16	UCF	30	23.0	.741	.545	6.9	0.2	2.6	7.4
2016-17	UCF	31	26.2	.715	.500	10.1	0.2	2.9	10.9
2017-18	UCF	16	21.9	.767	.536	7.6	0.3	2.6	10.2
2018-19	UCF	33	24.9	.748	.362	7.6	0.4	2.6	11.1

NBA Career

Despite going undrafted in the 2019 NBA draft, Fall was signed to an Exhibit 10 Contract on 21 June 2019, by the Boston Celtics. Fall played for the Celtics during the 2019 NBA Summer League season, scoring six points in his first game alongside four rebounds; in his second game, Fall tallied 12 points for his first double-digit scoring game, alongside another rebound. On 25 July 2019, the Celtics officially announced that they had signed Fall. On 13 October, the Celtics officially announced that they had signed him to a two-way contract, splitting time between the Celtics and Maine Red Claws. Fall made his debut for the Celtics on 26 October during a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. In the G League for the Red Claws, Fall averaged a double-double of 12.9 points and 11.1 rebounds per game.

Fall's time with the Celtics was marked by his popularity with fans, who were drawn to his unique size and engaging personality. While his on-court opportunities were limited, he became a beloved figure in Boston.

Cleveland Cavaliers

On September 27, 2021, Fall signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He was later converted to a two-way contract on October 16, 2021. However, his time with the Cavaliers was short-lived, and he was later waived.

International Career

Chinese Basketball Association (CBA)

In August 2022, Fall signed a one-year deal with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He later joined the Ningbo Rockets.

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New Zealand Breakers

In September 2024, Fall joined the New Zealand Breakers of the National Basketball League (NBL) for their US tour. Later that year, in November, he signed with the team until the end of the 2026 season. In July 2025, Fall departed from the Breakers.

Player Profile

Given his size, Fall plays the center position. His shoe size is 22 (US), his wingspan is 8 ft 4 in (2.54 m) and he has a reported standing reach of 10 ft 2 in (3.10 m). Fall also has a maximum vertical leap of 2 ft 2.5 in (67 cm).

Off the court, Fall is known for his intelligence and strong character. He maintained a 4.0 grade-point average (GPA) in high school, while taking advanced mathematics and science classes. He became fluent in English within eight months and scored in the 95th percentile on the SAT. Fall is a Muslim and selected the jersey number 99 with the Celtics as a reference to the 99 names of Allah.

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