Lausanne five-star transfer Moussa Cisse: 'I'm interested in everybody,' including Memphis

Khari Thompson
Memphis Commercial Appeal

The double-teams and triple-teams kept coming at Moussa Cisse as the 6-foot-10 junior was held to two points in the first half. But his work on the offensive glass and ability to score in transition helped Lausanne withstand a 36-point scoring outburst from Johnathan Lawson and claim a 70-59 victory over defending Class AA state champ Wooddale on Friday. 

Cisse finished with 19 points, 16 rebounds and eight blocks, showing the skills that have earned the 6-foot-10 junior plenty of attention. 

Lausanne coach Marvis Davis said that Cisse has offers from Michigan State, Florida, Memphis, Kentucky and Kansas, among others.

"A lot of coaches are calling me. My recruiting door is open. I’m interested in everybody. I’m trying to go to the best school that's good for me, the best fit," Cisse said. 

Lausanne forward Moussa Cisse leaps up to follow a teammates’s shot during their 70-59 win over Wooddale in the ARS National Hoopfest at Olive Branch High School on Friday, Jan. 3, 2020.

Cisse, who transferred to Lausanne from New York's Christ the King Regional in August, is the top prospect in Tennessee and the No. 9 prospect in the nation for the Class of 2021, according to the 247Sports Composite. 

He said that college coaches "love" his defensive potential. At 6-foot-10, he's a natural rim protector. He covers ground quickly in transition, which gets him a fair amount of high-percentage scoring opportunities, but said that coaches have told him he could use a more polished offensive game. 

"They say I have great energy and they love my blocked shots. Everybody loves me for my blocked shots, but I’m trying to do better," Cisse said. "I know I can do more than that. They tell me to work on my offense. That's what I'm working on," 

Wooddale forward Johnathan Lawson shoots the ball over Lausanne forward Moussa Cisse during the ARS National Hoopfest at Olive Branch High School on Friday, Jan. 3, 2020.

When asked about Memphis, Cisse said: "I really think Memphis is a good school. If Memphis is the best fit for me I would go, but like I don’t care, but I’m trying to make a good decision. I don’t want to regret my decision after," Cisse said. 

Lausanne trailed by double-digits at the half but used 17 second-half points from Cisse to close the deficit. Cisse was able to crash the boards effectively and create scoring opportunities by moving without the ball. Bo Montgomery and Antonio Dilworth, who finished with 22 and 19 points, respectively, hit timely shots that helped draw some of the attention away from Cisse. 

"He (Cisse) gets everybody’s best. He gets triple-teamed and rightfully so. If we didn’t have him, I would be doing it," Davis said. "I told him it comes with the territory. We try to space the floor and open it up a little bit. That helps."