2026-27 Gonzaga Player Profiles: Massamba Diop
ONE MORE WEEK! That's right, Zags faithful, we are officially in the home stretch till tip-off, with only one more tune-up for the boys on Wednesday before we have the showdown with Purdue. We are firmly in the middle of the player profiles as we take an in-depth look at our very new roster for the upcoming season. Today we are diving into the biggest offseason acquisition literally, with 7'1" Massamba Diop.
Let's get to know Diop. The former Arizona State Sun Devil burst onto the scene in the Big 12 last year with eye-popping dunks & blocks, making him one of the top transfer portal targets for all of the blue bloods. Funny enough, the two guys who most likely helped the most in getting Diop to Spokane are no longer with the program, which just shows how deep the roots lie within this university, as even the players who move on still hold Gonzaga as a top choice. Mario Saint-Supery & Ismaila Diagne, former teammates internationally with Massamba, helped the staff in convincing the big man to join the Bulldogs. Now I'm also sure the long line of NBA big men from GU didn't hurt either, as we now add Graham Ike to the list.
Speaking of Ike, we cannot expect a similar game from Diop. I know we are very used to the back-to-the-basket, full-of-tricks type of bigs here in Spokane (i.e., Sam Dower, Kelly Olynyk, Domantas Sabonis, Drew Timme, & Braden Huff). For Massamba, we need to think more of a Brandon Clarke type of game fueled around athleticism. At 7'1", he will just change games with his presence, allowing for more movement within the offense and better paint protection on defense. Already, the scrimmage is a good case in point: watching the 1st half, you may have felt he wasn't doing much compared to, say, Izan Almansa, yet Diop had a +7 when on the court. My point is he could have games where he is sitting at only 8 pts, but combos that with 11 rebs and 4 blks. Though with the scrimmage, we did see one similarity with Ike...
Diop showed he is a passionate player who wears his heart on his sleeve, not something new for the Zags staff, as Ike, we all know, played with that expressive mentality. One thing I do have to point out was the apparent tripping by Diop vs. Arkansas; that is one thing we know won't fly on a Few-run team. Coming from Bobby Hurley's waste of a program, I am sure he picked up lots of bad habits we will need to see gone sooner rather than later. I have strong faith the staff made sure to point that out Saturday.
So for Diop, his projections in my opinion are tough. His style of play within pick-and-rolls and the open court goes so well within the Few system, but we can't forget about Braden Huff & Davis Fogle, who I expect to get 25-30 shots a night between them. I still think Diop will find his chances and put together a strong season; I think his rebounding numbers will increase and we will have a shelf full of defensive honors by spring. Being only a sophomore, he is already on some draft boards, but I wouldn't be surprised if he becomes a two-year guy in the program. I am excited for the year ahead, though, with Diop, Huff, and Almansa as our frontcourt.
For more basketball content follow/subscribe:
Nathan De Sousa: https://www.barstoolbreakdown.com/post/2026-27-gonzaga-player-profiles-nathan-de-sousa
Comments