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When Moustapha Diagne committed to Syracuse, it seemed as though he would be the big man of the future. Things changed when the NCAA could not determine Diagne to be eligible to play this year due to a class he tried transferring from his native country of Senegal. So, the former Pope John XXIII star decided to enroll at Northwest Florida State, where he will try and become eligible to play Division 1 basketball all over again.
Diagne holds a "standing" offer from the Orange, meaning they will still take him if he decides to commit as a prospect in the Class of 2017. He will first need to finish his Associates Degree at Northwest Florida State in order to move on to the next level but Syracuse has continued to recruit Diagne hard, despite new schools jumping in and showing interest. Earlier in the week it was reported that Syracuse assistant coach Adrian Autry visited Diagne at Northwest Florida State in the hopes of keeping Syracuse involved in his recruitment.
Diagne would have likely been a key player for the Orange this year, who could use some more size on the inside in the 2-3 zone. Standing at 6-foot 9 and weighing 230-pounds, Diagne could spell DaJuan Coleman and Tyler Lydon at the 5 in the zone.
Diagne, who plays just over 20 minutes a game, is averaging 10.8 points and 8.7 rebounds for the Raiders. Northwest Florida State boast a 20-4 record and the No. 8 ranking in the country.
Check out Diagne's high school highlights: