NC State Basketball
Missouri Transfer Mohamed Diarra Commits to NC State
NC State picked up their 5th transfer today. Mohamed Diarra (6’10″/215) committed to run with the Wolfpack today while in Raleigh on an Official Visit.
Diarra originally spent his first two seasons at Garden City Community College, averaging 17.8 points and 12.6 rebounds per game in his second season. He landed at Missouri last year, after being rated as the #1 JUCO prospect in the 2022 class according to JucoRecruiting.com.
In his only season at Missouri, Diarra averaged 11.7 minutes per game in 25 games played (6 starts), averaging 3.3 points and 3.2 rebounds. Because of the extra year due to Covid, Diarra has 2 years of eligibility remaining.
With news breaking today that Dusan Mahorcic entered the Transfer Portal, the Wolfpack found his replacement. NC State’s frontcourt in 2023-24 currently will be made up of D.J. Burns, Ben Middlebrooks, Mohamed Diarra and Ernest Ross.
Check out these highlights of Diarra.
There is a lot to like in Diarra’s game. He is athletic, can hit a jump shot, put the ball on the floor, can play defense on the perimeter, block shots, and is an aggressive rebounder.
Hopefully this doesn’t mean anything, but Morsell and Miranda are testing the NBA waters. I am assuming this is similar to what Smith did last year. However, I would be trying extra hard to get Bradley to commit.
Completely agree. I heard Bradley visited us, then Memphis, and was going to consider other schools as well. Hopefully we are still working it. It makes sense for Miranda to get NBA feedback. And it seems logical that the advice he’d get would include that he should play at least one year of college ball. He’s never played against tough competition. This is where NIL makes a difference, I think. Pre-NIL, his choice might have been ‘get paid in the G League’ or nothing. Now he can get paid and benefit from a year at school working on his game… Read more »
This crap every year is getting very old. Why can’t the NCAA do for basketball as they have done for football and baseball. You select college, you stay at least three from your high school graduation. One transfer is bad enough but committing and then changing your mind midstream is frustrating for fans as well as coaches.
Football players can transfer pretty freely.
That’s true, but at least football and baseball have to stay in college for three years in some compacity (transfer once, transfer and sit out a year, medical red shirt, etc.). I don’t understand how basketball coaches can put up with this mess now. Just look at the number of players recruited and commited to State by KK that didn’t even get there.
I was worried about the 4 when Clark & Gantt left. Now we have the opposite problem. Where do you play Rice? Unless he’s still recovering from the back issue, he’s too good to sit on the bench. He needs playing time. He’s not a PG, Taylor and Morsell are locked in at the 2 & 3. He could probably backup those positions (but they are already probably 2 deep), but they will be the primary. So he’s got to play the 4. Ross, Diarra, and Miranda also will prefer to play the 4. and backup the 5 as needed.… Read more »
The staff was spot on with Burns and Mahorcic (and Clark) last year. Gotta trust their evaluation of both Middlebrooks and Diarra. Adding Rice to that equation makes me feel like we upgraded from Ebe, Gantt, and Clark. Miranda is a wild card that I can’t wait to watch. Both Miranda and D.Parker will benefit from having more experienced guys to bang with in practice.
I know that’s a highlight reel, and he didn’t play much, but he looks really athletic for 6’10”, hustles, and appears to have good hands. I think he has potential.
Found a box of old LPs and got to thinking about your handle…. Not too many rock bands had a true violinist. PapaJohn Creach played with Hot Tuna in the 70’s. Just wonderin
LPs? What are they??? LOL (I used to have over 1,000)
I remember Hot Tuna, they were guys from Jefferson Airplane, right? Can’t recall a hit song. I’ll have to look them up.
Our kids call me Papa, birth certificate says John, then this pizza chain came along and the kids gave me a hat…