“My role on this team is to bring energy,” Ba said. “And anytime I’m needed to step on the court to play some defense or whatever — whatever they need me to do, that’s what I’m doing.”

Bringing energy to this pack is a tall order, and, although he still manages quite well, it is sometimes difficult for Ba to remain upbeat when his teammates are so down.

“It’s tough right now,” Ba said. “It’s tough for me. It’s tough for the other guys. But they deserve (to be uplifted), so I’m just going to keep on doing it.

“This is the time when you’re going to find the people who are tough. Anybody can be happy when things are easy, when you’re successful, when things are going the way you want. But it’s when you’ve got to face adversity that you learn more about your character — more about yourself.”

As a political science major, Ba remains in touch with world news, although he does not trust the American media’s fairly paltry coverage of international events, particularly those in Africa. He has his sights set on law school, but, after that, he would like to travel back to Mauritania to be a role model for kids there. But most involved in Michigan’s program would agree that he’s already reached this status on the Wolverines’ sidelines.

“Everywhere Amadou goes, he’s going to make friends,” Amaker said. “And he’s going to have friends here when he leaves. This is just going to be another stop on his trail.”