Bobby Hurley, Players Praise Arizona State Center After Win
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TEMPE -- Arizona State men's basketball has opened the 2025-26 season on an incredibly high note after defeating Southern Utah and Utah Tech in the lead-up to a game against Gonzaga this Friday.
While numerous players have stepped up early on in what has been a balanced effort on both ends of the ball, a particular freshman has already started to garner attention from across the country while also beginning to gain serious traction in NBA circles.
Center Massamba Diop has been unbelievable to this point of the season - averaging 16 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game in two games. This has been complemented by the former Spanish league player displaying a jump-shot, serious ball-handling ability for a big man, and the capacity to defend all three levels of the half-court.
Massamba's skill-set, motor, and production are going to be a major storyline of the Arizona State season - head coach Bobby Hurley acknowledged the superb showing in his post-game press conference.
What Hurley Had to Say
"It was just net, net on both of his threes. So we got to find ways just to keep getting him the ball in different places. You know, good things are happening. You know, he's, he's special, chance to be really, really good, a force around the basket, and with his athletic ability and his footwork and, you know, and just even his passing, like his passing is very underrated, like when doubles are going at him, he's finding the right, the right play to make. So, you know his future is, it's scary. You know how good he could be?"
Hurley isn't the only member of the program to heap praise on the 20-year old - as guards Anthony "Pig" Johnson/Moe Odum and forward Santiago Trouet have within the last week as well. It truly appears as if Massamba has gained respect and admiration from the locker room, which was an incredibly challenging task to take on in following five-star Jayden Quaintance.
What Lies Ahead for Diop?
Diop will be handed one of the most daunting tasks of the season when he faces off with Gonzaga big man Graham Ike on Friday night.
Ike had scored over 1,100 points over the past two seasons leading into this one, becoming one of the best players in college basketball over the time period. While Diop is incredibly talented and battle-tested, this will be a battle of wills.
Read more on why the Arizona State men's basketball team will exceed expectations in the 2025-26 season here, and three major takeaways following a gutsy win over Iowa State here
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Kevin Hicks is an Arizona State alumni and now serves as the Arizona State Beat Writer On SI.