NEWS: Gee-Gees men’s basketball welcomes local products Justin Ndjock-Tadjore and Khalifa Koulamallah

Fresh from a Wilson Cup championship and a U SPORTS bronze medal, the Gee-Gees men's basketball team is making a splash with the official announcement of two local transfers joining the program for the 2023-24 season. 

Both from Gatineau, QC, Justin Ndjock-Tadjore and Khalifa Koulamallah represent key additions to Ottawa's lineup as the team continues their pursuit of a national title.

"We are extremely excited to welcome both Justin and Khalifa to the family," said Gee-Gees head coach James Derouin. "Adding two big local talents is not only exciting for the program on the court, but also in our community. Having them around the program throughout the year has helped make their transition in as smooth as possible so we're ready to hit the ground running this summer." 

Ndjock-Tadjore, a 6-8 swingman, returns home after playing Division I basketball at St. Bonaventure in Allegany, NY. In all, Ndjock-Tadjore saw action in 13 total games for the Bonnies, over the course of the 2021-22 season and the beginning of the 2022-23 season. 

Prior to St. Bonaventure, Ndjock-Tadjore starred across the Ottawa River at Cegep de l'Outaouais, where he was named an RSEQ All-Star in 2020 after posting averages of 15.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, while shooting 48.3% from the field. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ndjock-Tadjore did not play a final season with the Griffons before committing to St. Bonaventure. 

Khalifa Koulamallah, a 6-4 guard, joins the Gee-Gees from Carleton, where he played in nine games in the 2021-22 season for the Ravens en route to a national title. Koulamallah averaged 4.4 points, and 2.2 rebounds per game with Carleton in limited minutes. He scored a career-high 12 points in a win over Algoma on Oct. 29, 2021.

Prior to his time at Carleton, Koulamallah played CÉGEP basketball at Vanier College in Montreal, where he was a part of the Cheetahs' RSEQ championship season in 2020. In his final season with Vanier, Koulamallah averaged 12.9 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting over 90% from the free throw line.

The bilingual pair who grew up playing at the youth level in Gatineau will have the opportunity to play in front of a home crowd for the remainder of the collegiate careers. 

Both have been involved with the program throughout the season during their transfer year.