NC State Forward Mohamed Diarra will not be returning to NC State for his final season of eligibility. Rather, he will give 100% of his focus to pursuing his professional career.
Diarra is declaring for the NBA Draft, and will explore that possibility as far as it goes, but the likelihood of him playing professionally in his home country of France are high.
Diarra was a significant player for NC State all season long, averaging 6.3 points and 7.8 rebounds (team high), but his impact in March was tremendous, recording 10+ rebounds in 7 of the Wolfpack’s 10 postseason games, and five of those performances were double-doubles.
Wolfpack fans will always remember the grit and mental toughness that Diarra put on display in the NCAA Tournament, playing game-after-game while fasting for Ramadan.
The Wolfpack’s frontcourt just got a little bit thinner. In the past two weeks, NC State has lost Diarra and Ernest Ross. Ben Middlebrooks is returning, and Brandon Huntley-Hatfield transferred in from Louisville. Dontrez Styles transferred in from Georgetown, and while he is more of a Small Forward, in certain lineups, he could play the Small 4 position. With all that being said, I fully expect NC State to try to find another post player in the Transfer Portal with Diarra’s exodus now official.
With Diarra not returning in 2024, NC State now has 2 scholarships available for next season.
Mav is an OK player. Great that he is expanding his game. I see him as the 8th or ninth off the bench this year.
Great article Tyler. Packinsider has become my #1 source for wolfpack news and opinion. Check for spelling errors though!
Maverick has definitely come into his own and I just pray he plans to graduate from state.
I like how Mav is not just settling for 3 point shots. As he mixes up his offense the defense will have to either sit back or play tight and I believe Mav has enough bb IQ to make the right decision based on the D he see’s. His defense will never be anything to write home about but his new size and strength should help him bang bodies and grab rebounds.