IMG Academy (FL) big Moussa Diabate gave Michigan its second 5-star pledge in the past 10 days when he committed to the Wolverines this afternoon. With Diabate’s commitment, Juwan Howard may have put the NUMBER ONE RECRUITING CLASS IN AMERICA out of reach for the opposition, particularly if the staff adds a seventh prospect to round out the 2021 class.

An interesting note here, I received word that Michigan was sitting “good/solid” for Moussa on Friday. I conveyed word to my colleagues here at MGo in our internal slack chat. I gave everyone a look at the recent film I put together in Phoenix and we all collectively said “this one may be out of reach”. Three days later and the Wolverines land the one of the most physically gifted/naturally talented prospects to come through Ann Arbor in the last 15-20 years. Such is life when Juwan Howard is your head coach.

GURU RANKINGS

Rivals	ESPN	247	Endless Motor
4*, #29 overall, #6 PF	5*, #7 overall, #5 PF, #1 FL	4*, #20 overall, #5 PF, #2 FL	5*, #7-10 overall PF/C

 

247 and Rivals place Moussa in the high 4-star range. ESPN and Endless Motor are much more bullish with a top 10 overall placement. I’m here to tell you, Diabate is a no-brainer 5-star prospect that is the third best big in America at worst. He’s an instant impact player at the college level who will professionally at some point.

Three of the four sites agree that he’s 6’10, while Rivals goes with 6’9. Rivals has an outdated weight of 190, while 247 is probably a bit too generous at 215. The eye test during late October in Phoenix says Moussa is likely somewhere in the 200-205 range. He officially checked in at 6’8.5 with a 7’1 wingspan at the Nike Elite 100… in 2018. I think it is safe to assume that Diabate picked up an inch and 10+ pounds over the last 2.5 years.

Note – I haven’t taken up the task of individual player rankings in 2021 with the health crisis precluding live evaluations to a large degree. I need live evaluation opportunities against legit competition on a relatively level playing field in order to adequately rank hundreds of prospects. I am comfortable issuing a general star ranking/tiered structure as indicated above. I’d probably have Moussa in the 7 - 10 range overall pending more detailed live viewings.

[After THE JUMP: scouting, highlights]

SCOUTING

The ONLY thing the 2021 class needed was a legit big. Well, this is as good as it gets. In a nutshell, Moussa Diabate is the perfect college big for contemporary basketball. I cannot overstate how big of a pickup this is. Moussa may very well be the most physically gifted big to commit to Michigan over the last 15-20 years.

I just had a detailed live evaluation of Moussa in late October against elite competition at the Border League. Diabate was the best big at the event, which included #1 overall Chet Holmgren and 5-star Oregon commit Nate Bittle.

Offensively, he displayed great perimeter skill by knocking down multiple triples with good elevation and nice form. His ability to create shots off the bounce from the wing may have been the most impressive aspect of his game though. Moussa was able to blow-by legit high-major wings with dribble penetration before finding teammates with precision dimes in tight spaces for easy layups on multiple occasions. Moussa’s passing/playmaking is outstanding for a big. His vision was approaching guard level in Phoenix.

He also excels as a lob threat as the roll-man in ballscreen action and in transition. His explosive leaping ability off 1 or 2 legs coupled with his 7’1 wingspan make him the ideal dumpoff/vertical threat to opposing defenses. Diabate is going to be more athletic than 98-99% of college bigs, and he’s going to be an electric finisher in Ann Arbor.

While his offensive skillset is certainly potent, the defensive end may very well be where Moussa has the greatest impact. He’s very much a switchable defender with great lateral agility that can keep up with guards for a few dribbles.

He’s also a very good shotblocker based on his quick twitch athleticism and wingspan. He blocks/alters shots at a high level as both a helpside rim protector and closing out shooters on the perimeter. As a rebounder, he has a quick second jump, outjumps the opposition to high-point boards and has a very good motor.

If my opinion on Diabate’s NBA caliber athleticism isn’t good enough for you, perhaps this evaluation from NBA Draft Room will prove persuasive:

“Moussa is a very springy, quick-twitch athlete with great size and length. Some big men move slow, not Moussa. His skill level has yet to fully catch up to his athleticism but it’s just a matter of time and hard work. The future is very bright.

“Shows promise on the offensive end and is much more than just a big rim protector. Is starting to be able to put the ball on the deck and go coast to coast. And he shows good court awareness and ability to find the open man.”

That same evaluation goes on to project Diabate as a first round pick for the 2022 NBA draft.

The Stepien, another NBA draft publication, largely echoes the quick-twitchiness and mismatch ability that Moussa presents to the opposition:

“Dynamic, explosive first step in face up situations. Credible threat driving in either direction – dangerous driving to strong hand, but also liable to jab-step right and rip-through to his left hand and finish with touch. Very difficult one-on-one matchup as most bigs can’t keep up with his quickness and smalls can’t match his size or ability to cover ground going forward.”

Jerry Meyer of 247 has a somewhat outdated take that praises Diabate’s athletic ability but shortchanges his improved offensive skill in their January 2020 report:

“Long arms at 6-9. Energetic athlete who plays with aggression and a competitive edge. Thrives on contact and has an unorthodox style that is physically intimidating. High level rebounder who goes out of his area to pursue the ball. Very limited shooting range. Not uncomfortable with the ball but not a playmaker. A versatile and adept defender. Quality shot blocker. Has great potential as a high energy defender, rebounder type.”

Once Calipari offered back in September, Rival’s Kentucky affiliate took a detailed look at film from last year and came away impressed with the defensive versatility and projects him as an elite defender:

“Versatility is something Calipari craves, and Diabate is oozing with that. Just as with Nick Richards and E.J. Montgomery, Diabate can switch on just about anyone and there will not be a mismatch. In fact, I believe he can defend the two through the five, and perhaps all five positions. I watched Diabate do this several times in four games; switch onto talented perimeter players and never blink.”

[After THE JUMP: So this is what it feels like to recruit at a Kentucky/Duke level]

OFFERS

Moussa chose Michigan over a bevy of heavy-hitters including Kentucky(!), Arizona, Maryland, Oregon and Memphis among several others.

HIGH SCHOOL

Diabate attends IMG Academy in Florida. The team is annually loaded with elite talent and will likely roll-out another top 5 roster nationally this year. You may recall that 2022 Jett Howard is currently attending IMG along 2022 offers Jaden Bradley and Eric Daily.

STATS

Moussa put up more than 13 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks per game on 53.3% from the field in the 2019 FIBA U18s.

VIDEO

Border League Highlights, October 2020:

Junior Year Highlights, Courtside Films:

2019 FIBA U18 Highlights:

PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE

Moussa is a legitimate NBA prospect with all the measurables and physical traits that NBA GMs covet. He fits the mold of a kid the G League will target. Assuming Diabate does suit up for the Wolverines, he will only be here 1 year at most.

That said, there is no question in my mind that Diabate is undervalued by the mainstreams at #20 to 247 and #29 to Rivals. He’s a no-brainer 5-star that should be a top 10ish prospect. Moussa is my number one choice for a big in 2021, over the likes of Holmgren, Reid and Bediako. He’s the prototype big in modern basketball that can play either the PF or C position and is compatible with any lineup combination. He’s going to be an instant impact player at the collegiate level and will likely be in the NBA sooner rather than later. No question, he will play at least 20 minutes per game as a freshman and is a serious threat to be in the starting lineup from day 1.

Defensively, he will be a game changer. Moussa can adequately defend three positions on any given night and has the physical attributes to simply overwhelm the majority of players in the B10. First and foremost, he is a good rim protector that will erase mistakes from guards that allow dribble penetration. He projects to be a superb board man that rebounds in a crowd and gives the Wolverines extra possessions.

But his switchability on the perimeter absolutely unlocks the key to Michigan being a lockdown defensive team. Diabate provides a combination of size/length/athleticism that makes him a great fit next to any big and any lineup possibility. Against pick-and-roll action you can have him switch, blitz, hedge or play drop coverage. His physical abilities will allow Juwan Howard to hide Hunter Dickinson in a away that his physical limitations on the perimeter will not be exploited. A stat line of 6-8 rebounds, more than a block and steal per game is within reasonable expectations as a freshman.

On the other end of the court Moussa’s trajectory as a floor-spacing shooter has improved tremendously over the last year. The Wolverines will unlock that ability in pick and pop action where Diabate will get catch and shoot looks.

His face-up ability is the most lethal weapon in the half-court though. Moussa’s first step is elite for a prospect of that size and he also has a solid handle. He will blow by traditional bigs on straight line drives with reasonable frequency, particularly on closeouts.

Diabate will thrive as a roll-man next to excellent playmakers in Frankie Collins and Kobe Bufkin. His catch radius is elite. Pick and roll action between the Bufkin/Collins and Diabate combo figures to be quite entertaining.

While everyone is enamored with the unicorn-ish bigs that stretch the defense, Moussa is definitely going to provide some blue-collar work on the offensive glass. He is an elite rebounder that will generate a few extra possessions per game with his motor. He’s likely to draw free throws at a reasonable rate because of it as well.

In sum, Moussa Diabate is an instant impact, heavy rotation player as soon as he steps on campus. The floor is likely in the 10 point/6 rebound/1 block range, while the ceiling may look like 15 points/8 rebounds/2 blocks per night while garnering all-conference honors.

UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS

It is absolutely pointless to project the upshot here with the NCAA granting an additional year of eligibility for seniors. Enjoy the #1 recruiting class in America and don’t worry about the future for now.