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WildcatAuthority's Jason Scheer posted Friday that Gueye has entered the transfer portal, news that was later confirmed, making the 6-11 Senegalese forward the first Arizona player with eligibility remaining to head out of the program this spring.

Gueye played only briefly in 26 games this season, though he did soak up 23 total minutes over the four February games when Arizona was shorthanded in its front court because of an injury to forward Koa Peat and an illness to forward Dwayne Aristode.

For the season, Gueye wound up averaging 1.3 points and 0.8 minutes while playing an average of 3.4 minutes in games he did appear in. But he blocked eight shots over his 26 games and became something of a fan favorite for the energy he displayed on both ends of the floor.

His freshman season was limited before it even started, however. Gueye missed nearly all of UA's offseason training because of visa issues that kept him in Spain, where he had been playing for Real Madrid's junior club, then struggled with a knee issue in the preseason.

Gueye was considered a redshirt candidate entering the regular season but wound up playing sparingly in 10 nonconference games. UA coach Tommy Lloyd said he told him in December to be ready to play a major game in a month, but Gueye didn’t get to actually do that for almost two, when he had four points and four rebounds in 10 minutes against BYU at McKale Center on Feb. 18.

Gueye also played eight minutes in UA’s 73-66 win at Houston on Feb. 21 when Peat and Aristode were out again, blocking a shot that put UA in the driver's seat to win the Big 12 title, but then it was back to the bench.

Gueye played two minutes against UCF and a minute against Houston in the Big 12 Tournament, his excitability resulting in a goaltending call on a Cougar shot, but then hit both shots he threw down in a seven-minute performance against LIU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

“I have to be ready every time,� Gueye said before the NCAA Tournament. “For example, the BYU game, (Lloyd) told me, 'I will play you earlier today so just get ready. No pressure. Just go hard.’"

Gueye's Arizona career played out somewhat similarly to that of Emmanuel Stephen, who was also considered a long-term frontcourt project when he arrive as a freshman center last season from Nigeria via Glendale's Dream City. Stephen was also considered a redshirt prospect but began playing in mid-December 2024 after Motiejus Krivas was shelved for the season with a foot/ankle injury.

Stephen played in eight games last season for the Wildcats, then transferred to UNLV. He averaged 3.5 points and 4.2 rebounds for the Rebels and is in the transfer portal again this spring.