SEATTLE -- The sensational Seattle Pacific men's basketball recruiting class just got even bigger.

Modou Niang, a 6-foot-10 center who played the last three years at Utah State, is transferring to SPU, second-year men's basketball coach Ryan Looney announced Monday.

Niang has two seasons of eligibility remaining and can play immediately for the NCAA Division II Falcons in the 2010-11 men's basketball campaign.

“We're excited about Modou. He adds a lot of size and athleticism to our program,” said Looney. “At stretches last season we didn't do a very good job defending the post and he will definitely provide a service for us in that area.

“When we've watched Modou play, he's really been able to guard the block and not only prevent the ball from getting in there, but it's been hard for people to score over the top of him as well. He will also definitely provide a service in rebounding, both offensively and defensively.”

Niang played 21 games and started once last season as a red-shirt sophomore at Utah State. He shot 62 percent from the field while averaging 2.7 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. The Aggies participated in the NCAA Division I Tournament after winning the Western Athletic Conference regular season title.

Niang tallied career highs of 13 points and seven rebounds against Weber State on Dec. 23, 2009.

The native of Richard Toll, Senegal played 18 games as a freshman in 2007-08 at Utah State. He participated in eight games during 2008-09 before claiming a medical redshirt year after breaking his hand.

Niang prepped at Hachioji High School in Tokyo, Japan. As a senior he averaged 32.3 points, 18.7 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 3.6 blocked shots while converting a remarkable 75 percent of his shots from the field. Hachioji placed fourth at Japan's National High School Championships his senior season and third his sophomore year.

During his senior high school season, Niang amassed single-game career highs of 51 points and 40 rebounds.

Niang is the second Division I big man to transfer to SPU this year, joining 6-foot-11 sophomore Andy Poling who came from Gonzaga. Poling played six games for the Bulldogs before announcing in early January his desire to transfer. He hit 4 of 5 shots from the field, averaging 1.8 points and 1.8 rebounds in 23 minutes.

“We could cause some matchup problems for other teams with our size. That's the plan,” Looney projected. “It will be a good combination because Andy is very skilled on offense and can cause a lot of problems on that end of the floor. Modou is just as talented defensively. He can create some problems for other people trying to score around the basket.”

The twin towers join a third incoming transfer to SPU, junior wing Jeff Dorman from Clackamas (Ore.) Community College.

The Falcons also signed four prep standouts to letters of intent, all of them from the state of Washington. The incoming freshmen are Riley Carel (Enumclaw HS), David Downs (Bellevue Christian HS), Corey Hutson (Skyline HS) and Ryan Todd (Jackson HS).

Those seven newcomers join an SPU squad that finished with a 22-6 record and won the 2010 Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship. The Falcons made their sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and ended the season with a No. 18 final ranking.

Looney was voted the GNAC Coach of the Year and junior point guard Chris Banchero was the league's Player of the Year. Four of the Falcons' top-six scorers return for next season, including three starters.

The SPU men begin the 2010-11 season in Reno on Nov. 6 with an exhibition game at Nevada.