Juco big man commits first for Gates in Mizzou

It took Dennis Gates all three days to get his first commitment as a Missouri coach. Garden City CC (Kansas) The Big Man Mohamed Diarra It was announced Friday morning that he has chosen to play for the Gates at Columbia.

“(Gates) was definitely recruiting him in Cleveland and I think he was even on the radar when he was in Florida when he first found out about him,” Bill Morosco He said. “There has been a longer relationship than people might suppose.

“It was clear that Muhammad was his top priority and this is something that distinguished me and Muhammad.”

Diarra, 6 feet 10 and 215 pounds, was born in Paris, France. He played for Redemption Christian Academy (New York) as a pre-season player and was a four-star nominee in the 2020 class. He has listed five shows, including one from St. John’s. This time, Morosco said DePaul, Georgetown, Mississippi State, University of California, New Mexico and Loyola Marymount were among the schools it offered.

“He was the most recruited person in the country by Goku,” Morosco said. “You name it, they call.”

As a freshman, Diarra averaged 8.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game while blocking 35 shots. All of these numbers increased in Diarra’s sophomore season. He averaged 17.8 points and 12.6 rebounds playing 30 minutes in a Broncobusters game. Diarra blocked 71 shots this season. He shot 45% from the ground, 30% from the three-point range and 71% from the free throw line.

“There are a lot of things you can’t teach with him,” Morosco said. “He’s a very versatile player, he’s kind of those hybrid guys now. He can play on the perimeter, he can play indoors, he’s an incredible lane, and he’s got a lot of potential forward.

“Defensively, he will have a tremendous impact right away and offensively, and maybe he will do that as well.”

Morosco said Diarra would need to add some weight to his chassis, which is one of the things he liked about the fit in Missouri. Being part of the SEC Strength Program will help in its transition. Morosco also said that Gates’ record with college freshman players was a factor in Diarra’s decision, and at Mizzou, he would be able to attract a higher level of junior college player than he did in rebuilding Cleveland State. Diarra is on her way to graduate in May and will be in Colombia to start classes in the summer.

“He was a very good student for us and he is a kid with a very high personality, his teammates love,” Morosco said. “I think it would be a really good fit for the culture coach that Gates is building there at Mizu.”

Jucorecruiting.com Diarra is classified as a Number 1 junior college player in the country in the 2022 class. He will have four years to play three years in Missouri because the 2020-21 season was not counted in eligibility for rookie college players due to COVID relief.