Moussa Diabate has announced he will enter the NBA Draft evaluation process with a June 1 deadline to decide whether to return to Michigan. He will hope to impress at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago on May 16-22 and remind scouts why he was once considered a future one-and-done lottery pick.
The big man from France finished his freshman season with 9.0ppg, 6.0rpg, and .8ast. Diabate was named to the All-B1G Freshman Team. Diabate showed flashes on both sides of the court in his freshman year. He would score double-digit points multiple times and was a consistent rebounder for the Wolverines. On defense, he was inconsistent with sky-high blocks one minute and poor assignment lapses the next. He also showed inconsistency around the rim, too often forcing bad shots or holding the ball below his waist before layups allowed strips and blocks.
Much like fellow freshman Caleb Houstan, Diabate's struggles are linked with the team itself. He scored a career-high 28 points in a huge win against Iowa before scoring only 3 in the next game against Wisconsin. Moussa's game against Villanova in the NCAA tournament was filled with missed opportunities, a theme for the entire Wolverine team in a loss that felt like a win that got away.
Moussa Diabate was part of Michigan's #1 rated class in 2021. A top 30 five-star recruit from IMG Academy via France, Diabate started the season backing up veterans Brandon Johns and Hunter Dickinson. Diabate would take the starting PF job from Brandon Johns in a road loss against UNC 7 games into the season. He would stay the starting 4 throughout the season, also playing minutes at center in rotations where Hunter Dickinson was on the bench.
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