NBA Comparison: Ekpe Udoh

Strengths: A lean 6’10 215 C/PF prospect with nice length and the frame to add on significant mass without loss of mobility…Mobile and agile for his size; covers ground well laterally and is a long striding athlete in the open court…Uses his size and athleticism well around the rim (54 FG%), being able to finish above the rim or with the use of jump hooks that smaller frontcourt players had difficulty altering due to his length, touch and high release…Has pretty good hands…Active on the offensive glass (2.4 ORPG); can high point and snag boards out of his area thanks to his big catch radius…Will sometimes look to initiate fast breaks after grabbing rebounds, and has developing ability to handle the ball in space…Competes with good energy and will make hustle plays…Unselfish player and has more ability as a passer than his assist numbers at Michigan indicate…Makes himself available for dump off passes and knows how to find openings for high percentage finishes…Growing into his ability to operate facing the basket and showed he was willing to take shots as far out as the college 3-point line (sporadically) as a Fr…Will be able to match up with PFs and Cs, but also has enough length to smother and alter shots when switched on smaller players

Weaknesses: Not very strong currently, and can be knocked off his base on both ends…Will have problems establishing position without getting uprooted against stronger, more experienced post players until he adds weight…Unpolished skill set; doesn’t really have an offensive skill that he can hang his hat on for production…Relies heavily on his length and athleticism offensively, his floor game in the halfcourt needs a good deal of work…Predictable post game with only a right hand jump hook in his back-to-basket arsenal…Did not have much success shooting the ball from mid-range or 3 this past season (21 3FG%)…Not as impactful a defender as his physical tools would lead you to believe (averaged less than 1spg and 1bpg as a Fr.)…Can be foul prone and jumpy when contesting shots (2.7 fpg in 24 mpg)…Shot only 62 FT%, which illustrates a need for improvement on his shooting touch…Pretty green prospect who will require patience from whoever selects him

Overall: Diabate is a French-born prospect who established himself as a 5-star prospect in the 2021 class at IMG Academy…He then signed to Juwan Howard and Michigan and emerged as a starter early on in the season to form a supersized frontline with Hunter Dickinson…He was a hustling role player for Michigan who played around 25 mpg and put up averages of 9 ppg and 6 rpg…His activity level and fluid athleticism for a player his size stands out, and Diabate had his moments of strong play (ie his 28 point 8 rebound game in a road win vs Iowa) that are encouraging…Still, he is a raw prospect who was inconsistent as a Fr. and isn’t yet the sum of his parts…He will need to add more weight to his frame to help his reach his potential also…Still, if a team is patient they may be able to develop Diabate into a role-playing big who has the length to switch and defend adequately at the pro level with some rim-running potential …

Notes: Measured: 6’9.25” barefoot, 6’10.25” in shoes, 9’1.50” standing reach, 216.6 lbs, 7’2.50” wingspan at the 2022 NBA Draft Combine …

Jorrye Nixon 6/20/22

Strengths: 6’9 versatile forward … Good length with a 7’1 wingspan … Good coordination, mobility, and fluidity. Good athlete and runs the floor well … Good face-up game and versatility. Can shoot from midrange and range extends to the 3PT line. Can score inside and out and plays anywhere on the floor … Very good rebounder, especially offensively. Scores well on second chance opportunities. Averaged a 4^th best 10.3 (1^st 5.3 offensive) and a 3^rd best 11.1 (1^st 6.6 offensive) rebounds per game at the U16 and U18 Euro Championship A in 2018 and 2019 … Averaged 11.1 points per game at the U16 Euro Championship A in 2018 and 13.1 points per game on 53.3% FG% at the U18 in 2019 … Solid ball handler for his size and can push the ball up the floor with either hand after defensive rebounds. Can put it on the floor and get to the rim. Uses euro-step when appropriate … Solid passing ability at his size and plays well in the high-post. Can play high/low with other big men. Alert. Keeps his head up, moves the ball quick, does a good job hitting the open man, and consistently makes the extra pass … Vocal, especially on the defensive end …

Weaknesses: Slight frame, lacks strength in both upper and lower body. Aggression isn’t bad but he can be stronger with the ball and can protect it better in traffic … Shooting form isn’t bad but sometimes pushes the ball, causing it to fall short. Shooting can improve as he’s not consistently a threat to stretch the floor and results vary by day. Shot 33.3% 3PT% (1-3 3PT) over 8 games at the NBPA Top 100 in 2018 and 0-4 3PT over 5 games in 2019. Shot 0-1 3PT at the U16 and 0-5 3PT at the U18 Euro Championship A in 2018 and 2019 … Poor free throw shooter. Shot 50% FT% (3-6 FT) at the NBPA Top 100 in 2018. Shot 54.8% FT% and 46.2% FT% at the U16 and U18 Euro Championship A in 2018 and 2019 … Has room to expand post-game. Can improve shooting efficiency. Shot 30.4% FG% at the NBPA Top 100 in 2018 and 43.8% FG% in 2019. Shot 42.9% FG% at the U16 Euro Championship A in 2018 … Solid passing overall, but telegraphs passes at times … Not a bad defender but doesn’t stand out as a shot blocker like someone with his size, athleticism, and ability suggest. Shows versatility on the defensive end but doesn’t have incredible quickness laterally on the perimeter … Older for his class, will turn 19 in January of his senior year of high school …

Outlook: Michigan commit … Transferred from DME Academy to IMG Academy for his junior year of high school … Named to the Grind Session 3^rd Team in 2019 …

Evan Tomes 12/10/20