Michigan Basketball: Thoughts on Moussa Diabate staying in NBA draft

Moussa Diabate decided to keep his name in the NBA draft on Wednesday and here are some thoughts from a Michigan basketball perspective. 

Michigan basketball will have to replace another starter from last season’s team as Moussa Diabate is going to keep his name in the NBA draft.

It was first reported by Jeff Goodman and confirmed by others.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise to any Michigan basketball fan. Diabate performed really well at the combine and even when he entered the draft, he sounded like someone ready for a career in professional basketball.

In my opinion, the 6-foot-10 center/power forward is better suited to the pro game than returning to Michigan basketball. It would be one thing if Hunter Dickinson wasn’t back and Moussa could start at the five, which is his natural position, but that wasn’t the case.

Diabate needs to work on his shooting skills and it’s hard to be a four-man in the NBA without some sort of reliable jumper. Diabate showed potential as a rim protector but also needs work in that area.

Still, the athleticism he has for his size and length are unique. He will be valuable with his ability to switch onto guards in the pick-and-roll game and as a five, if he can hone his finishing skills around the basket, which includes catching the post entry pass, he could be a solid big.

Even if Diabate isn’t drafted (there are only 58 picks this year) some team will sign him and stick him in the G-League. He’s not ready for the NBA but he’s got something worth developing, so this move doesn’t surprise me at all.

We are still awaiting the decision of Caleb Houstan but I would be shocked if the outcome wasn’t the same.

What’s next for Michigan basketball?

Once the dust settles, we’ll take a look at some of the options in the transfer portal but this means that Michigan will have a new starting frontcourt alongside Dickinson next season.

Jett Howard is a strong candidate to start at the three if Houstan stays in the draft, while the four could be a battle between Terrance Williams, Tarris Reed, and Will Tschetter, or a transfer.

It’s a bummer to miss out on the second season of Moussa Diabate and if he was able to meet his potential, he could have been an impact player for the Wolverines.

However, the roster fit wasn’t great and his loss probably won’t hurt quite as much as the expected departure of Caleb Houstan.