Former Syracuse commit Moustapha Diagne is headed to Western Kentucky, where he will sit one year and then suit up for three years beginning in 2017-18.
“Moustapha was great for us,” Northwest Florida coach Steve DeMeo said to SNY. “He is a physical low-post scorer who can also step outside to 17 feet and is very consistent from that range. He is also a very good rebounder, too. [Western Kentucky coach] Rick Stansbury and his staff have a young man that is only on the rise. He will be an all-league player in Conference USA.”
Diagne is a 6-9 power forward who played high school ball at Pope John XXIII in Sparta, N.J., and who didn’t qualify at Syracuse. Diagne went to junior college at Northwest Florida State.
A native of Senegal, he averaged 10.2 points and 7.3 rebounds this past season.
He declared for the NBA Draft this year but wasn’t selected, and due to a junior college rule wasn’t allowed to return to Northwest Florida State.
Ranked the No. 7 power forward in the Class of 2015 by 247Sports.com, Diagne helped lead Sparta (N.J.) Pope John XXIII to the New Jersey Tournament of Champions final in March 2015, where they lost to current Kentucky point guard Isaiah Briscoe and Roselle (N.J.) Catholic. He averaged 14.7 points and 12.0 rebounds that season.
Western Kentucky also added Buffalo transfer Lamonte Bearden, who will sit one year to play two more.
The 6-3 Milwaukee native averaged 13.7 points and 4.2 assists last season at Buffalo.
His transfer was first reported by Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com.
Western Kentucky also added 6-11 Class of 2017 center Mitchell Robinson for 2017 and now appears to have one of the best recruiting classes in the nation.
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