Mohamed Diarra is transferring to NC State basketball
NC State basketball coach Kevin Keatts last season chose to add two post players to ensure he had the proper depth in the post. The moved paid off then, and Keatts is hoping that will work again. Missouri junior center Mohamed Diarra joined Clemson sophomore Ben Middlebrooks in joining NC State via the transfer portal.
Diarra announced his decision Monday afternoon.
Diarra (6-foot-10, 215 pounds) has two seasons of eligibility remaining. He played on season for Missouri, averaging 11.8 minutes, 3.2 points and 3.3 rebounds per contest. He also blocked 15 shots in 25 games, which included six starts (the last four games of the regular season and two contests in the SEC Tournament). Missouri went 25-10 and made the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
After a slow start, Diarra’s production and playing time increased in SEC play, in which Missouri went 11-7. He averaged 15.3 minutes, 4.8 points and 4.6 boards while blocking 11 shots in league-only regular season contests. He also made 4 of 11 threes.
Diarra arrived at Missouri after averaging 17.8 points and 12.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore at Garden City Community College. Marquette, Maryland, Pittsburgh and West Virginia were also reportedly interested in Diarra, who was rated the top junior college prospect by at least one service.
The native of Montreuil, France was named the conference’s Co-Defensive Player of the Year as well after blocking 71 shots in 30 games.
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Diarra’s commitment gives Keatts three options in the paint for next season.
NC State is also expecting back fifth-year senior D.J. Burns Jr., who is expected to take advantage of his extra season of eligibility granted by the NCAA during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Burns platooned with Dusan Mahorcic, who announced he was entering the transfer portal Sunday evening, when the two were healthy before taking on a more extensive role after his injury. Burns was named honorable mention All-ACC. He finished the year averaging 12.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in 22.9 minutes, shooting 56.1 percent from the field. He has one more season with the Wolfpack.
In conference play, Burns was notably effective, averaging 16.1 points and 5.6 boards while shooting 56.6 percent from the field.
Middlebrooks, who like Mohamed Diarra was in the transfer portal, committed to NC State over Auburn.
The 6-foot-10, 232-pounder averaging 3.2 points and 2.7 rebounds in 11.2 minutes of action while playing all 34 contests for the Tigers. Middlebrooks started 7 games and shot 48 percent from the field and 77.3 percent at the free throw line.
In ACC play, Middlebrooks had averages of 11.0 minutes, 3.4 points and 2.8 boards.
