Moussa Diabate’s career night lifts Michigan over Iowa

That’s for good reason. Dickinson is a returning All-American and the conference’s reigning Freshman of the Year. And so far this season, he’s taken his game up another notch.

But during Thursday’s trip to Iowa, it was the Wolverines’ other towering frontcourt presence who made all the difference. Freshman Moussa Diabate, a former five-star prospect, has shown short bursts of promise throughout the season. Against the Hawkeyes, he put it all together en route to a performance that lit up the box score. Diabate posted 28 points on 12-of-15 shooting and eight rebounds.

As Diabate dominated the interior, all Iowa coach Fran McCaffery could do was watch and shake his head. At the postgame press conference, he lamented the challenge of stopping Michigan’s two-big lineup when it’s firing on all cylinders.

“Diabate got away from us,” McCaffery said, peering down at a folded box score sitting behind his microphone. “You try to lock in on Dickinson, that’s the guy. But Diabate, I think, is terrific. Really, really good player.

“He’s a pro.”

The Wolverines’ press conference, on the other hand, struck a different chord. Michigan coach Juwan Howard took a step back to examine Diabate’s road to Thursday’s career night. Howard, a former big man who played in the NBA for 19 seasons, knows what it takes to succeed in the low post at the highest level.

Howard discussed what it was like recruiting Diabate, whose combination of competitiveness and skill is rare among recruits. He knew soon enough, that would translate into productive performances like Thursday’s.

“He just really was patient, and when he got the ball, he wasn’t trying to rush into his move,” Howard said. “He took his time reading how the defenders were playing him and made some really good plays. His teammates, of course, did a good job delivering the ball to him in spots where he needed it and wanted it. He also made some tough shots on the baseline. That’s no surprise to me because of the work that he’s putting in throughout the season.”

Given the heavy attention Dickinson commands, Diabate often finds himself in one-on-one matchups around the rim. His athleticism and post moves allow him to beat most defenders off the floor with ease, but throughout much of the season, the potential didn’t necessarily lead to production.

Prior to Thursday, Diabate had scored in double figures only once in Michigan’s previous five games. To Howard, that was a red flag. So during a film session earlier in the month, the Wolverines’ third-year coach pointed out ways his team could better incorporate Diabate into the offense. He thought Michigan was missing opportunities to get Diabate valuable touches. Duck-ins, size mismatches and transition chances were all going unnoticed, and that was preventing Diabate from maximizing his impact.

That all changed at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

And because of it, Michigan was able to escape Iowa City with a much-needed Quad 1 road win, ticking a valuable box on the Wolverines’ NCAA Tournament resume as March approaches.

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