7-foot center Ismaila Diagne aims to “enjoy every moment and win everything” in his debut season with Gonzaga.
SPOKANE, Wash. — Gonzaga basketball is just around the corner, and Bulldog fans will soon get a glimpse of the new 2024-25 team. Mark Few and his staff have added several talented players from the transfer portal, including a promising freshman from the EuroLeague.
One of the exciting new faces is 7-foot center Ismaila Diagne, who played for Real Madrid’s U18 team last season. Diagne averaged 10.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks, helping his team win the Adidas Next Gen Tournament championship in Berlin, Germany, just four weeks ago during the EuroLeague Final Four.
The African-born center shot 55.6% in the title game, leading Real Madrid to a narrow one-point victory over the French team PFBB INSEP Paris.
As Diagne begins his college career, his talents could have taken him to numerous programs, but he chose Gonzaga due to its storied success.
“I chose to come to Gonzaga because it’s a really good program. One memory that stands out is the 2021 March Madness buzzer-beater by [Jalen] Suggs. Since then, I’ve watched them consistently, seeing how the program kept improving. I also admire their tradition and legacy,” Diagne said.
At 17 years old and hailing from Senegal, Diagne is now the tallest player on Gonzaga’s roster, standing two inches above the 6-foot-10 forwards Ben Gregg and Braden Huff.
Despite his experience in high-level competition, Diagne will be a true freshman in college basketball, which presents a new challenge and opportunity for growth.
“For my first season, I want to learn a lot about the Gonzaga program, enjoy every moment here, and win everything. That’s my only goal,” Diagne shared.
Fans will get their first chance to see Diagne and the 2024-25 Bulldogs at the annual “Kraziness in the Kennel” scrimmage on Oct. 5.
