Michigan's Moussa Diabate Talks Defensive Prowess, Complementing Dickinson
Freshman forward Moussa Diabate arrived in Ann Arbor in early July, and has already seen his expectations of being a Michigan basketball player under head coach Juwan Howard met, and probably even exceeded. The relationships between Diabate and his coaches and teammates are being forged by the day, and he's fitting right into the team culture.
The Paris, France, native has long had a strong bond with Howard, with the two having run into each other during the last several years, even before Howard became Michigan's head man.
"He wasn’t even a coach at Michigan, and I kept on seeing him. He would be like, ‘What’s up, Moussa?’ And I was like, ‘That’s really cool.’ At first, we didn’t really talk to each other, but I knew who he was," Diabate told host Brian Boesch on the Defend The Block podcast. "As the time went on, we just kept on building a bigger relationship, and then when he got the job, he offered me. I was one of the people that he offered, and I was pretty happy.
"As time went on, he did some stuff that I really felt like not a lot of people would do — just human-wise, I’m not talking about basketball-wise. As a person, first of all, he had me already. He was a great, great person — not that I’m saying that the other coaches were bad, but he was a great person. He showed me some stuff that even my parents were like, ‘Wow, he’s a great person, man.’ At least, I knew already on the human side I could trust him."
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Now that he's gone through numerous workouts with Howard, Diabate is even more impressed, especially with the basketball side of things.
"His approach to the game, the way he focuses on details … he pays attention a lot to the details that a lot of people wouldn’t, especially for [post] players like me, [freshman center] Hunter [Dickinson], [junior forward] Brandon Johns, [freshman forward Terrance]Williams and [freshman forward] Will [Tschetter]," Diabate said. "He’s extremely focused to the details. So even the angles of the screen, you’ve got to pay attention to those because at the pro level, all those things are going to matter. I really think that was the main thing that I was like, ‘Wow, that’s serious. He really takes that stuff seriously.’
"His approach to the game, just how serious he is, and the way he involves everybody else around him — I think that’s a pro attitude. He doesn’t have a lot of an ego — he doesn’t have an ego at all. He makes sure that everybody around him connects and is able to be reliable with him. That’s a great skill to have, and that’s what he does best."
At 6-foot-11, 210 pounds, Diabate is a long, athletic big man who will play both the power forward and center spots. A former five-star recruit, he is known primarily for his prowess on the defensive end of the floor, where he's able to use his length and quickness when guarding in the post and switching onto smaller players on the perimeter.
Unlike many other top prospects, Diabate prides himself on defense, first and foremost, while his offensive game continues to progress.
"First of all, I am competitive," he said. "I don’t want people to score on me. I don’t like it — I hate it, actually. So whenever I feel like somebody is scoring on me, I don’t like it.
"I just love playing defense, especially when you’re able to keep your man scoreless. It’s such an insane impact, a big impact, on the team that you’re playing against. I love playing defense, really."
It's likely that Diabate will come off the bench to spell Johns at the four position and Dickinson at the five spot, with his versatility being a huge reason why he will surely receive significant playing time right away. He feels that he fits right in with Michigan's other bigs, and has already seen the combinations work — especially playing with Dickinson — on the practice floor.
"I feel like we’re going to have a great tandem," Diabate said. "I feel like, defensively, we’re going to be great, because post-wise, he’s a pretty good defender. And on the outside, at least I can switch. Let’s say, we need to recover — I can be the one to recover on a shot or even on a rebound; I can give great help, too, and hopefully be a great support for the team.
"Offensively, that’s Hunter, man. He’s huge; he’s like 7-1. There’s not a lot of people that can guard him in the post, and by doing that, he’s going to attract so many people that, by the end, he’s got the four shooters open. I’ve just got to knock them down at that point. And also, because I’m quicker than other big men most of the time, I can drive on them and make a play. Like I said, you’ve got Hunter in the post. They’re going to be so focused on him that I could get a cut or wide open, easy shots."
There are still over 90 days before Michigan tips off its season against Buffalo Nov. 10, and Diabate is making the most of each and every one of them.
"What I have to work on is, getting stronger, getting bigger, absorb contact and also my shooting — definitely my shooting," he said. "After that, I feel like everything is going to fall the right way."
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