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Arizona State freshman center Massamba Diop has entered the Transfer Portal with a do-not-contact tag, On3’s Pete Nakos reports.
In his lone season in Tempe, the 7’1″ Senegal native averaged 13.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks for a Sun Devil team that compiled a 17-16 record and missed the NCAA Tournament. Prior to heading to the States to play college basketball, Diop played in Span from 2022-2025.
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Diop was Arizona State‘s second-leading scorer this season behind senior guard Maurice Odum. He was also the second-leading rebounder behind sophomore forward Santiago Trouet, and led the team in blocks. He, however, was not selected as a member of the Big 12 All-Freshman Team.
He scored 20-plus points in three games this season, and recorded 21 games with two or more blocks. He immediately becomes one of the best shot blockers in the Portal.
The prized center hits the Portal as Arizona State basketball heads into a new era. After 11 seasons at the helm, head coach Bobby Hurley and the program parted ways following the Sun Devils’ embarrassing 91-42 loss to No. 7 Iowa State in the 2026 Big 12 Tournament. Across 11 seasons, Hurley led the program to a 185-167 (90-115) record with three NCAA Tournament appearances.
Arizona State‘s last appearance in the Big Dance, however, came back in 2023. In those three Tournament appearances, the program failed to advance past the First Round.
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Arizona State is heading into new era under head coach Randy Bennett
To replace Hurley, Arizona State quickly agreed to terms on a five-year deal with longtime Saint Mary’s head coach Randy Bennett. Bennett had been at Saint Mary’s since the 2001-02 season. In that span, he led the Gaels to a stellar 589-228 (304-99) record with 12 NCAA Tournament appearances. That includes a run to the Sweet Sixteen in 2010, and appearances in the last five Tournaments. This season, the No. 7 seeded Gaels fell to No. 10 seed Texas A&M 63-50 in the First Round.
“It was going…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/arizona-state-center-massamba-diop-203836232.html
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Publish date : 2026-04-08 20:38:00
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