The athletic small forward spent the last two seasons with Trento
Virtus invests in rising star Saliou Niang
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Virtus Bologna has signed Italian national team player Saliou Niang, who grew up in the youth system of the club's archrival Fortitudo Bologna.
Niang (1.99 meters, 21 years old) has spent the last two seasons with Dolomiti Energia Trento. He averaged 6.7 points and 5.1 rebounds over 17 BKT EuroCup games last season as a part-time starter. Niang's play improved as the season progressed; he posted an average PIR of 6.8 in his first 12 appearances and a PIR of 12.4 in his last five, which included a 10-point, 8-assist effort against eventual champion Hapoel Tel Aviv and 8 points and 12 rebounds against ratiopharm Ulm.
He also helped Trento win the 2025 Italian Cup. In May, Niang was chosen as the Italian League's Most Improved Player of the Year.
The promise Niang showed led to him being selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft. Born in Senegal, Niang was a child when his family moved to Italy. He made his debut for the Italian national team in February in the EuroBasket 2025 qualifying round against Hungary. In signing with Virtus, Niang returns to Bologna, where he began his career with Fortitudo.