How will Ismaila Diagne impact Gonzaga this season?

There is much to be excited about regarding the upcoming season for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. With all the talk about Khalif Battle, Michael Ajayi, and Braeden Smith, it’s easy to forget that the the Zags signed another huge (pun intended) addition for the 2024-2025 season, Ismaila Diagne. The 7-footer announced his commitment to Gonzaga in June and since then, there has been much speculation as to his role in the team’s future. One thing is certain, however: when a signing of Diagne’s caliber is the “forgotten” part of a team’s offseason, that team is going to be extremely, extremely good.

Diagne is extraordinarily gifted but still raw. The Senegalese center spent last year with Real Madrid’s U18 team where he averaged 10.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks per game. He also appeared in four games with the Real Madrid national team and showed flashes of greatness against the highest level of competition in Europe. At just 17 years old, Diagne has demonstrated poise and promise against high-level competition in ways very few players before him have been able to do so. While it’s challenging to predict how successful he’ll ultimately be at Gonzaga, Diagne could have one of the highest ceilings among international recruits the Zags have signed in years.

The biggest question mark surrounding Diagne is exactly how much fans can expect to see him play in the coming season. As thrilling as his commitment was for Gonzaga fans, some early NBA draft projections have him entering the league as soon as 2025 and there’s a concern that he may make the leap to the NBA before even getting his feet wet in the NCAA. Players with Diagne’s potential are extremely rare and there are many NBA GMs who would happily take a chance on him before giving him an opportunity to prove himself at the NCAA level.

It’s likely Diagne chose Gonzaga for the team’s proven track record with player development, especially for big men. Recent years have shown that Gonzaga is a place where big men with NBA potential can receive the necessary care and guidance to succeed at the next level, even if they don’t see much in-game action. Diagne certainly could have committed to a different school where he’d play significant minutes right away but his choice of Gonzaga indicates that he values player development over an immediate NBA career, at least for the time being.

Diagne certainly didn’t commit to Gonzaga with the expectation of starting minutes right off the bat. For now, the center position is firmly held by Graham Ike. Although relatively undersized for an NCAA center, Ike was one of the most efficient offensive big men in the country last year, averaging 16.5 points on 61% shooting in 24 minutes per game. In many games, Ike exceeded expectations even against larger, more physical opponents. However, despite his offensive efficiency, the Zags often had to rely on traps and double-teams for defense in the low block; sometimes it worked (like it did against Hunter Dickinson), other times, we played Purdue.

Ike’s backup last year was Braden Huff, who had just come off his own redshirt year in the fabled Olynyk Clinic. Huff’s playing style differs from Ike’s considerably, and the combination of the two kept defenses on their toes. However, when both Ike and Huff struggled or faced foul trouble, the Zags appeared flat.

With a player of Diagne’s size potentially coming off the bench, the Zags could have a new look in key moments when for whatever reason they can’t get things going down low. Even if Diagne doesn’t contribute much offensively this year, with so much talent on the perimeter, he may not need to. A true 7-footer who can clog the lane, grab rebounds, and help keep other bigs out of foul trouble is a valuable addition. Despite his rawness, if used in the right context, Diagne could be an invaluable asset to the Bulldogs in the 2024-2025 season.

More realistically, Diagne’s greatest value this season might be as a scout team stand-in during practice for the bigger centers Ike and Huff will face in the future. Huff, in particular, struggled against rangier opponents last year and often relied on his turnaround jumper to get a clean look at the basket when he couldn’t body up to gain position on the low block. This strategy was probably effective in practice against Drew Timme and Pavle Stosic, but it fell short against taller, more aggressive defenders in game time. Iron sharpens Iron, and if Gonzaga wants its big men to perform well against bigger opponents, they need practice against them as well.

Although Diagne’s impact will likely be felt most behind the scenes this year, he does have a clear path to a future in the NBA. Players of his size and skill are exceptionally rare, especially at such a young age, and many GMs would like to acquire him sooner rather than later. The question is how long Diagne will want to continue developing at Gonzaga and how much he can improve within one of the nation’s most effective player development programs.

If his career trajectory so far continues, Diagne could go from being a complete unknown to a household name within a year. He possesses the raw talent, athleticism, size, and experience to make the leap to the NBA quickly if he chooses. By committing to Gonzaga, though, Diagne has shown he values the opportunity to gain skill and experience over an immediate professional career. Coach Few is known for his patience and measured approach in integrating new players, so fans should temper their expectations for how much of Diagne we’ll see in the upcoming season, but if Ike and/or Huff look a little sharper against taller competition than they did last season, we will know who to thank.