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COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mohamed Diarra, one of the nation’s top junior college prospects, has officially inked with the University of Missouri men’s basketball program, Whitten Family Head Coach Dennis Gates announced Wednesday. Diarra will have three remaining years of eligibility entering the 2022-23 season.
“Mo was one of the most versatile players in Junior College basketball this past season,” Gates said. “He will be able to play several positions on the court for us which will cause matchup problems for opposing defenses. He comes from Garden City Community College, one of the premier Junior Colleges in the country and competed in the tough Jayhawk Conference. He’s just scratched the surface of his potential, and we are excited for him to continue growing here at Mizzou.”
Diarra, originally from Paris, France, spent the last two seasons at Garden City CC in Garden City, Kansas, where he was tabbed the 2021 Kansas Jayhawk Community College Player of the Year. While at Garden City, he established himself this past season, scoring 17.8 points per game and grabbing 12.6 rebounds per game. Diarra’s rebounding average led all National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) players, his 147 made free throws led the KJCCC and his scoring average was seventh in his conference.
He earned 2021-22 KJCCC Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors, recording 71 blocks in 30 games.
“Mizzou is very renowned throughout the country and with the arrival of Coach Gates I knew I could develop here,” Diarra said. “Coach Gates has successfully coached many players with a similar style as myself and has been very successful. He knows how to develop skills and I can see we have the same winning mentality, which really tipped the scales for me.”
Diarra originally began his athletic career playing soccer, before transitioning to basketball. In his freshman season at Garden City CC, he averaged 8.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
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