Returner Profile: Khadija (Hadi) Faye

When discussing the upcoming 2021-2022 Texas Tech women’s basketball team, it should not take long to get to returning sophomore center Hadi Faye. After a strong freshman season in the 2020-2021 season where she appeared in 19 games and started in 15, the 6’4 Faye is likely to see an expanded role in the upcoming year for the Lady Raiders.

In those 19 games, Faye averaged 5.6 points per game, 4.9 rebounds per game, and 1.1 blocks per game in just 16.1 minutes per game. Despite her limited role for much of the year and her missing the first six games of the season, she still finished the season fourth on the team in total rebounds and second in offensive rebounds. She also finished second in blocks.

She came in second place in those two categories to Tech’s star forward Vivian Gray. It is worth noting that Gray led the team in minutes this past year with 35.7 while starting in every one of the team’s 25 games. Faye played almost 600 fewer minutes on the season than Gray in total, and still managed to come in second to only her in multiple categories. Not too bad for a freshman.

Faye’s breakout performance this past season came in a February home win over the Kansas State Wildcats where she put up 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 2 blocks. At that point in the season, she had already become an everyday starter for the team. She started in all of the team’s last fifteen games of the season.

After her strong play this past year, Faye will in all likelihood see an expanded role carved out for her in the upcoming year. This should come as a welcome sight to Lady Raider basketball fans given her talent level and continued improvement throughout her freshman season. Tech is looking to improve next season coming off a year where they went just 10-15.