Oh, hello there.
NC State’s quest to add one more big for next season has taken it across the border into southern Quebec, just as we all expected. French-Canadian power forward Ismael Diouf, a 6’9 lefty from Laval University, is joining the Wolfpack out of the transfer portal.
Diouf spent two seasons playing at Laval before being selected first overall in the 2024 Canadian Elite Basketball League Draft by Montreal. He averaged 11.1 points and 7.0 rebounds per game at Laval in 2023-24, shooting 64.6% on twos and 31.6% from three.
He will join the Pack for the 2024-25 season, though I can’t find any info on how those seasons playing Canadian college basketball affect his classification stateside. Two years of eligibility? Four?
He’s an interesting prospect—good hands, comfortable scoring in close with his right, and a capable passer (4.6 assists/game) as well. He’ll have to acclimate to a substantially higher level of competition, though, which will take time.