The Wolverines had their second player come off the board in the 2022 NBA draft on Thursday night after Moussa Diabate was selected in the second round by the Los Angeles Clippers with the 43rd pick..
The 6-foot-10 big man was a five-star recruit coming out of IMG Academy in Bradenton (Florida) out of the class of 2021. Diabate chose Michigan over Arizona, Illinois, Kentucky, and Memphis among others. 247Sports composite ranked Diabate as the 17th best player in his class.
Diabate started his Michigan career coming off the bench but soon became a staple in the starting lineup next to Hunter Dickinson. Diabate struggled to stay out of foul trouble and had some 3-point shooting woes, but the potential is thru the roof. Diabate possesses a long wing span that NBA teams were extremely excited about, and during his only season in Ann Arbor, the maize and blue were one of the best rebounding teams with the big men down low.
Diabate played 25 minutes-per-game and he averaged nine points and six rebounds-per-game at Michigan. His play earned him being voted into the Big Ten All-Freshman team. When Diabate decided to forgo his final three years of collegiate eligibility, it came with mixed reviews, but the former five-star will look to continue to develop his game at the next level.
Since he was a second-round selection, like his former teammate Caleb Houstan, his contract will not be guaranteed. Diabate may need to develop his game — especially his 3-point shooting — in the G-League before seeing valuable minutes in the NBA.
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