Ousmane Cisse tasted a bit of NBA life with Orlando last year, but needs to display more consistency to make the jump from playing in the summer to playing in the fall. Gary Bassing/Getty Images

It's NBA summer league time, which means lots of stories about players trying to keep their NBA dreams alive. In other words, lots of stories about guys like Ousmane Cisse.

If that melodic name rings a bell, it should. At one time Cisse (pronounced see-say) was a hot prospect in NBA circles, a Parade All-American. Now, he's more well-known for being a poster child -- along with Korleone Young and Leon Smith -- for the NBA's stay-in-school program. Cisse is trying to shed that latter label. He recently played with the Golden State Warriors in this year's L.A. Summer League, and while he didn't land a spot on the team's training camp roster, he is hopeful he opened enough eyes to get a chance somewhere next fall. "I'm just looking for an opportunity," says Cisse.

For those who don't remember the details, Cisse's story is borderline tragic. As a senior at St. Jude High in Montgomery, Ala., the 6-foot-9, 250-pound man-child averaged 29 points, 16 rebounds and 12 blocked shots per game. He was considered one of the best big men in the country -- along with the likes of Kwame Brown, Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry -- and was recruited by Duke, Louisville, North Carolina and Cincinnati, among others. But in a game midway through his senior year he went up for an alley-oop and landed awkwardly on his left knee. The diagnosis: torn ACL. Cisse tried to come back that season, but it was clear he wasn't the same player.

At this point, Cisse's tale took the tragic turn from which he is still trying to recover.

Instead of putting his NBA dreams on hold and going to college, where he could rehabilitate his knee and further his education, he listened to the advice of his (now former) agent and declared for the 2001 draft. With raw skills and a bum knee, he was quickly exposed in NBA workouts. His stock plummeted. The Nuggets took a flier on him in the second round (No. 47 overall), but released him in training camp.

The son of educated parents from Mali, Africa, he didn't need the money an NBA roster spot promised. Now 21, Cisse says he should have known that he wasn't going to make it with a bad knee and that the NBA wasn't going to wait around for him. "It was not a good choice," he says. "If I'd gone to college, they would have had time to work with me, make my leg strong and after one or two years I'd have been ready to go to next level."

Now Cisse must chase his NBA dreams the hard way. Since washing out in Denver, he has slowly worked his knee back into playing shape while earning paychecks in Russia and the USBL. Last year he landed a spot on the Magic's summer league team. "He's as close as they get physically, and does a great job," former Magic GM John Gabriel says. "He just has to learn to put it together on a consistent basis."

Cisse's sculpted NBA body, his 7-4 wingspan and his work ethic were enough to convince the Warriors to give him another shot this year. Cisse demonstrated he still has ability, averaging 7.2 points and 5.0 rebounds, but showed he still needs work. "He's a physical specimen, but he's still raw in terms of knowing how to play the game," Warriors assistant GM Rod Higgins said. "He needs coaching."

Former NBA star Kermit Washington -- who has been working out with Cisse in the D.C. area this summer -- thinks Cisse still has a chance to catch on with the NBA. Washington compares him to Ben Wallace, in terms of his body and work ethic. "This kid is a phenomenal athlete, he's the hardest-working kid I've ever seen and he's a sponge when it comes to learning," Washington says. ""He blocks shots like he's got a racket in his hands. All he needs is a chance."

Cisse says he just wants to prove to NBA observers and personnel people that he's healthy -- and capable. The knee is now 100 percent, he says, adding that he's improved his offensive game around the basket. But physical ability isn't enough, and Cisse knows it. He longs for the day when he won't hear Dick Vitale and others mention his name in the same sentence with preps-to-pros busts Young and Smith. "I was one of top players coming out of high school," Cisse says. "I was up there with Kwame Brown, Tyson Chandler, all those guys. What happened was I got hurt. I wasn't healthy. I couldn't compete like I used to. Now, I'm 100 percent. My knee is strong. I'm a different player. I know I can make it. All I need is an opportunity."

The NBA summer league might be full of similar stories, but few more filled with pathos than Cisse's. Only time will tell if he can write a happy ending.

Marty Burns covers pro basketball for SI.com.