What New 6-Foot-10 Center Brings to ASU Basketball

It was about as active an offseason as it gets for Bobby Hurley and the Arizona State Sun Devils.

After a disastrous season last year, losing 12 out of their final 13 games, it was clear that change was needed.

Hurley’s message was falling on deaf ears, players were rebelling, and the product as a whole was a lost cause. Not only that, the 2025-26 season is his final season on his contract, so the urgency is real.

Athletic Director Graham Rossini offered his stamp of approval on Hurley’s job, saying that he “believes in him.” And whether that’s just semantics or he really does believe in him, it’s given Hurley a second chance in the desert.

He’s done a solid job turning the roster upside down and adding a breath of fresh air to the team.

Firstly, he added point guard Moe Odum, the senior transfer out of Pepperdine who plays a chaotic, yet controlled style of play.

Secondly was Marcus Adams Jr., the former four-star forward who has had a rough go personally in his college career, but has plans to return to form.

Thirdly, he brought on Mor Massamba Diop, the versatile Senegalese center who is more than just your traditional big man.

Standing at 6-foot-10, Diop runs the floor like a role player desperate for more minutes. He does most of his scoring in transition, which is unlike many centers — even in today’s game. He’ll always provide his teammates with an extra leg to stand on when running the floor, just to push the tempo a little bit more.

Can you imagine, as a defender, seeing a man his size running at you with that speed?

Another thing he does well is scoring off the pick and roll. He can set screens well, but they can be inconsistent, and he ends up showing his hand on his next move.

Regardless, he knows how to roll to the basket, and with a point guard like Odum controlling the floor, you can expect Diop to get a lot of looks.

Diop spent most of his time playing in Spain for Gran Canaria’s B-Team, and while there, he was the leading scorer. In 14 contests, he averaged 16.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, and shot 62% from the field.

On Spain’s top-flight team, he hardly saw the floor — only averaging a smidge under five minutes per game — but was able to generate six points or more on two separate occasions.

Diop may not be a full-time starter right away, but he is the only real center this team has. The next tallest player is 6-foot-10 Santiago Trouet, a transfer forward out of San Diego.

However, for someone with his experience, teams would love to have an athletic and versatile big man coming off the bench. And if all goes well, the future is bright for Diop.

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